THE USE OF FUNCTIONAL NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY (FNIRS) TO ASSESS COGNITIVE WORKLOAD OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS

In this study, we used fNIRS in an En Route simulation to examine the effectiveness of a decision aid, Conflict Resolution Advisory (CRA). CRA provides controllers with possible resolutions to avoid conflicts in order to reduce their workload during a decision making stage. First, we compared cognitive workload of different air traffic levels. We then compared controller positions and CRA conditions. Finally, we conducted event-related analyses to examine epochs only around decision making timeframes.