Northrop Grumman Corporation Visits OPL

On Tuesday 9/16/2008, Northrop Grumman Corporation visited the Operator Performance Laboratory (OPL). Dr. Jeff Wilbert, an Associate Technical Fellow and Principal Investigator for the Advanced Human System Integration Technologies (ACIS TD) group made the trip to Iowa City to meet with researchers at the OPL. During his visit, Dr. Wilbert initiated a seedling grant at OPL by conveying a check in the amount of $15,000 to Dr. Tom Schnell, the director of the OPL.

Dr. Wilbert was taken on a laboratory tour which included a demonstration of OPL’s newest addition, the Cognitive Delfin (COD), an Aero L-29 fighter jet trainer that is equipped with data link, simulation, and physiological performance measurement equipment.

Northrop Grumman is interested in exploring advanced methods for operator performance monitoring including physiological and neurocognitive markers of pilot workload and performance. These advanced performance monitoring technologies can help Northrop Grumman gain a better understanding of cognitive bandwidth of users in distributed network centric warfare applications.

OPL was chosen because of its already existing foundation for real-time airborne and ground based simulation and monitoring of operator performance as well as its Cognitive Avionics Tool Set (CATS) technology. CATS is a suite of software and hardware tools that allow deployment of neurophysiological sensors on pilots and crew members to quantify cognitive workload.

Other OPL assets that leverage Northrop Grumman’s goals include the Computerized Airborne Research Platform (CARP) which is an instrumented Beechrcaft A-36 Bonanza, a mobile Joint Semi-Autonomous Forces (JSAF) command center, an Advanced Tactical Aircraft Simulator (ATAS), a six-sided stereo-vision virtual environment portal, and a full scale Boeing 737 Flight Deck Simulator. On these platforms OPL is measuring a pilot’s workload using sensors such as eye tracking, dense array electroencephalogram (EEG), facial electromyogram (EMG), pulse wave, pulse oxymetry, electrocardiogram (ECG), Galvanic Skin Response (GSR), and respiration rate.

These new technological developments are of interest to Northrop Grumman because advances in Net Centric warfare have introduced new challenges to individual and shared situation awareness. These challenges must be addressed to reduce errors and improve mission capability.