ADVANCED HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACES FOR AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND 
SIMULATION

Ronald Azuma and Mike Daily
Hughes Research Laboratories
3011 Malibu Canyon Blvd.  MS RL96
Malibu, CA  90265

Jimmy Krozel
Seagull Technology
21771 Stevens Creek Blvd.
Cupertino, CA 95014-1175

Abstract

New technologies will significantly change Air Traffic Control over 
the next 15 years.  These changes will require improved human-computer 
interfaces for the less regulated, more complex future environment.
This paper describes a highly interactive, real time demonstration 
of 3-D visualization and interface concepts for the air traffic domain,
including Free Flight.  This demonstration offers a 3-D, stereoscopic 
view from both the controller's and pilot's perspectives, featuring 
representations of projected flight paths, 3-D graphical and audio 
proximity warnings, and 3-D text labels that automatically reorient 
themselves.  Feedback from domain experts is described.  In Free 
Flight, pilots and airlines will set their own courses and resolve 
conflicts autonomously when possible.  This demonstration also shows 
visualizations of the Protected Airspace Zone and Tactical Alert Zone 
safety regions around Free Flight aircraft, which are most easily 
understood through the use of 3-D graphics.  Future versions of this 
demonstration will acquire more realistic data, improve the interaction 
techniques and integrate the visualization more closely with conflict 
detection and resolution algorithms.