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Parameters Affecting Mental Workload And The Number Of Simulated Ucavs That Can Be Effectively Supervised, Bryan A. Calkin

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The present study investigated performance and mental workload when an operator supervises multiple UCAVs. This study focused on the parameters that affect the operator's performance during a simulated UCAV suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) mission, which is expected to be the primary function of the UCAV. All three manipulated factors, including the number of vehicles to be supervised, vehicle airspeed, and difficulty level of attacks (targets engaged by either a single vehicle or multiple vehicles), affected both performance and subjective mental workload measures. A performance mental workload redline was defined as the point at which accomplishment scores no longer …