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This paper describes the measurement of cognitive workload using the Networked Evaluation System (NES). NES is a unique network of coordinated eye-tracking systems that allows monitoring of groups of decision makers working together in a single environment. Two implementations are described. The first is a military application with teams of officers working together on a simulated joint relief mission, and the second is a fatigue study with teams of individuals working together in a simulated lunar search and recovery mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (LM ATL) has designed and developed a tool called Sensor-based Mental Assessment in Real Time (SMART), which uses physiological data to help evaluate human-computer interfaces (HCI). SMART non-intrusively collects and displays objective measures of cognitive workload, visual engagement, distraction and drowsiness while participants interact with HCIs or HCI prototypes. This paper describes a concept validation experiment (CVE) conducted to 1) demonstrate the feasibility of using SMART during user interface evaluations and 2) validate the EEG-based cognitive workload values derived from the SMART system by comparing them to three other measures of cognitive workload (NASA TLX, expert ratings, and expected workload values generated with Design Interactive΄s Multimodal Information Decision Support tool). Results from the CVE indicate that SMART represents a valuable tool that provides human factors engineers with a non-invasive, non-interrupting, objective method of evaluating cognitive workload. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Russian applied psychophysiology has a wide experience of using the heart rate variability (HRV) measures for the assessment of operator workload. However, `workload indexes΄ that have received a wide practical application, such as tension index (TI), are not sensitive to the moment-to-moment changes of operator physiological arousal level during the performance of cognitive tasks. In this connection, a new method of HRV analysis called CS-index is offered. This index permits to identify moment-to-moment changes of operator΄s functional state. The presented research shows that CS-index is sensitive to task load factors, such as task difficulty level and stressful conditions and allows to differentiate experienced and novice operators during their performance on a simulator. If the CS-index proves to be reliable enough, its combination with the Automated Expert Modeling for Automated Student Evaluation (AEMASE) approach can considerably raise the efficiency of operator training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whereas a user visually processes geographic information faster and more accurate than a computational system, a system processes a large number of geographic data much faster than a user. To minimise this large capability discrepancy, we propose a cognitively-adequate design of geovisualisation as an external aid to visual information processing. Our main objective is to release the limited cognitive workload of users by adapting the design of geovisualisations to their visual scanning capabilities. For a proof of concept, we design 2D thematic maps and 3D non-photorealistic visualisations, and evaluate the efficiency of visual scanning strategies with a computational attention-model and the eye-movement recording method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]