Human Factors of Night Vision Goggles

Night Vision Goggles: Fatigue and Decline Cognitive Levels

Night Vision Goggles: Fatigue and Decline of Cognitive Levels

In modern combat missions, the desire to operate at night is paramount because of the heightened enemy prowess against aggressors. As a result, technology has fostered the possibility of developing systems that would minimize the challenges associated with darkness. A common example of this technology is the Night Vision Goggles (NVG). However, because of physical and physiological challenges associated with NVG technology, pilots have often been dissatisfied with their careers. This situation has often forced many of them to leave their current workplaces in search for the ones that address cognitive and psychological problems associated with the use of the gadget. This research proposal will prove that NVG causes fatigue and lowers the quality of cognitive judgments required in piloting. While identifying the problems associated with NVG technology in piloting, this study will provide satellite propositions where future researches will focus -- scope of the study. The literature reviews have supported the existence of the problems related to the use of NVG in piloting. The study also provides recommendations and possible solutions to the identified problems.

Statement Problem

Night Vision Goggles (NVG) is a successful technology in the military aviation industry. However, its success has several shortcomings, which occasion usability problems. Pilots using this technology are accustomed to mental and physical suffering. Occasional inabilities triggered by poor working environment naturally demoralize the pilot. As a result, labor loss results in further financial losses in the aviation industry (Craig et al., 2006). However, the central area of interest in this research is the quality of cognitive judgments among pilots. In piloting, coherent judgments are essential; ineffective judgments resulting from poor syntax construction is a demerit that affects the proper control of an aircraft, which may cause accidents. Fatigue in the airline industry is caused by various factors associated with the night vision goggles, which are bulky and are mounted bulky helmet (McLean, 1999). As a result, the pilot is forced to support the heavy gadgets for long hours. This factor cause neck and back pains. Further to this, Parush et al. (2011) establishes that Pilots are required to work in demanding situations.

Environmental factors, which are aided by use of night vision goggles, are significant in causing increased fatigue levels. These are aspects related to terrain, weather, lighting, and climate. In fact, the pilots are expected to respond to challenging physiological and physical demands with outmost accuracy. Brickner (1980) showed that the technical complexity of NVG technology combined with a demanding working environment naturally overpowers accommodative capacity of moderate human being. Besides, gravity problems also cause many challenges to the piloting practice. Hung-Sheng et al. (2013) established that a pilot's nervous system is subject to push-pull factors of gravity. Physiologically, when a pilot tilts his or her head, the weight of these crystals causes the membrane to shift due to gravity and sensory hairs, which detect the shift. Therefore, the combined challenges in piloting primarily lead to heightened fatigue levels (Hung-Sheng et al., 2013).

Significance of this study

Training pilots is an expensive initiative that requires time, finances, and capital resource mobilization. The clinical problems established in the above description are potent factors that explain the high labor mobility in the airline industry (Parush et al., 2011). The purpose of this research is to establish factors leading to fatigue levels and their effect of cognitive requirements, standards, and thresholds in the airline industry. The research will analyze relevant literature in the medical and labor field. Central objectives include the development of quantifiable physiological research relating to fatigue and cognitive factors. Secondly, the information generated from this research will be applied to diagnose fatigue instigators and how they can be managed by future industrial standards (Hung-Sheng et al., 2013).

Scope of the study (Future detailed research)

The upcoming research will collect data from pilots, psychologists, and human resource managers. Research question will be oriented to ensure that respondents offer vital information based on real live experiences. In particular, research questions will inherently seek to investigate the relationship between fatigue and cognitive levels. This research is timely challenged by the absence of aviation engineers. The researcher has not yet identified sources from this field. Primarily, aviation engineers are the nucleus behind the development of cockpit technologies (Craig et al., 2006). Lack of no data from this group will affect this research and constraining it from achieving reliable results.

Research questions

Q1. To what degree are pilots comfortable in their career?

Q2. To what extent do rising fatigue levels affect cognitive levels of a pilot?

Q3. How do lowered cognitive capabilities discourage pilots from practicing efficiently?

Literature Review

Introduction

A night vision goggle is an electronically powered optical device that allows images to be produced at a given level of light even in total darkness. Although night vision goggles have been used in military and other law enforcement agencies, the aviation industry is increasingly adapting its usage. In darkness, lighting is necessary if proper vision is to be achieved. In the aviation field, the most commonly used night vision goggles are the Panoramic Night Vision Goggles. These are superior devices using close to 20mm image intensifier tubes (Brickner, 1980).

History of night vision goggles in Aviation

In July 1972, the U.S. Army Combat Development Experimentation Command (USACDEC) validated a series helicopter clear Night Defense Experiments. The experiments focused on how trainees could respond effectively even in darkness. During the Cold war era, conducting night attacks was paramount since enemies were constantly adopting parallel and vicious technologies (Oldham, 1990). In a military briefing in late 1975, it was shown that the Middle East War on U.S. could be successful if the military adopted night operations. Night vision is developed from three primary technologies. First, the Active illumination works in principle of coupling intensification technology. This technology uses the shortwave infrared (SWIR) band and near infrared (NIR) (Craig et al., 2006).

The second technology and the most common in aviation is image intensification. The underlying principle is its ability to magnify the amount of protons received from various sources. Lastly, the thermal imaging technology operates by detecting the temperate differences forecasted on the background of the objects. In February 1976, the military fully acknowledged the integration of night vision helmets for successful night missions. This was backed seen in the publication of Training Circular (TC) 1-28 Rotary Wing Flight (Bailey, 2012).

Impact of night vision goggles in piloting

Following the 1976 publication, several companies began pursuing technologies that would boost night vision devices. Currently, night vision devices are constructed of anodized aircraft aluminum. The helmet is designed to respond to demanding ergonomic requirements (Brickner, 1980). Key considerations include proper respiration process and response to bodily discharges. The helmets are suited with up to 25mm optical displays. Primarily, the NVG tube receiver behind the objective lens propels light from a wide range in the spectrum of the deep red area. The tube is suited with a phosphor screen, which is viewed through an eyepiece lens (McLean, 1999). This screen enables a magnification of +2 to -6 diopter adjustment, with an eye relief of 14mm at 25mm distance. Most of these devices are powered by the docking deck situated in the airplane cockpit. This feature makes it possible for night vision goggles to gain popularity in the aviation industry (Craig et al., 2006).

Configuration

The ocular configuration, which determines the nature of the NVG, is adjusted differently to meet the demands in a given environment. Primarily, there are three main components in NVG technology. These are monocular NVG configuration. This configuration has components like single objective lens and amplifying tube in a single eyepiece. This device can only be used with one eye. The biocular NVG configuration has a single objective lens in a single tube, but has two earpieces. The two eyes are intensified in one single tube. The binocular device right hand image has two objective lenses and two intensifying tubes. The configuration tube has an upper hand since it has two separate intensified images from two separate viewpoints. The depth perception in enhanced with contrast, expansion and detection (Chen et al., 2011)

How Night Vision goggle works

NVG device in war aircrafts and helicopters enables pilots to fly in enemy zones secretly and at night. The NVG projects ambient light, which is distributed within the device tunnel. The head-worn device executes various electrical and mechanical processes. The device infrared ability collects any available amount of light including the lower light spectrum and amplifies it to enable the user to see vivid images (Hung-Sheng et al., 2013). For this to b accomplish this, the device applies thermal imaging technology, which captures the upper part of infrared light spectrum. Thermal imaging light is emitted to all objects view. The light is duplicated to phased array system detector. Light at this stage is detailed in a pattern known as thermogram, which duplicates the image into electric impulses. The impulses are sent to a signal processing board, a dedicated chip that translates information into data display. The signal-processing unit sends images in various colors after which the infrared filter excessive colors (Parush, 2011). Although the NVG is a great night viewing device, it is prudent to note that the process involved in image processing deters quality. In most cases, pilots will often struggle to view all details provided in the NVG display hence creating the problems of fatigue and cognitive misjudgments (Bailey, 2012).

Issues:

Navigation risk

Piloting, especially in field combat is a demanding task that requires considerate physical movements. The pilot mounted with the NVG visualizer requires constant view of the environment surrounding him. Failing to do so may result to accidents. According to Rash et al. (2009), accidents involved in military flights are primarily caused by poor visualization. In addition, there have been issues related to lack of proper orientation to the technologies. Until recently, there have been many vendors of night vision goggles. Most vendors have customized features with intent of outdoing other players (Gallagher et al., 2008). As a result, the devices do not meet similar industrial standards. For instance, a pilot could previously be using a narrow FOV, which was traditionally designed to have a lower peripheral vision. This may result in increased spatial disorientation. However, in a different mission, the pilot may be using a larger FOV as determined by the demands of that mission. Eventually, pilots find it hard to meet demands of a device with a higher peripheral vision. This not only causes anxiety / fatigue to the pilot, but also exposes the pilot to higher risks of accidents (Craig et al., 2006).

Posture problems

The configuration aspect has a different impact in how human physiological functions because of the additional weight and luminance. In most cases, NVGs cause neck strains, injuries, and headaches. First, the physical aspect of mounting is inefficient and creates an uncomfortable piloting manner (Salazar et al., 2003). The physical issues are related to the user are anthropometry and inadequacy of navigation space: piloting requires sudden and agile moves. In fact, weight and configuration problems from mounted equipment are primarily responsible for the creation of instability. The net effect is the gross neck and muscle strain leading to fatigue problems: pervasive head, neck, and spine injuries will result in aviation crashes (Hung-Sheng et al., 2013). In any case, the device weight and the changing center of gravity do not correlate positively with human physiological functions. The pilot will be forced to spend more energy in trying to balance the heavy device than concentrating on field activities and craft safety (Oldham, 1990).

Neurotransmission Problems

Constant exposure to these working conditions characterized by head, neck, and spine injuries often result in central nervous breakdown and development of chronic of headaches (Brickner, 1980). Headaches are common complaints of pilots navigating in demanding situations. This is linked to visual difficulties, flight neck discomforts, and constrained lighting including long working hours in complex computer cockpits (Falla, 2004). In addition, the combined effect of headaches, nervous and sight breakdowns is the primary cause of bone fractures. The dysfunction associated with bone fractures is the constant fatigue and general disorientation (Salazar et al., 2003).

Body vibration and gravity

A moving helicopter vibrates heavily and affects the human sitting vertically on a cockpit. Vibration can be a measure on the scale of principle harmonic frequency of 5Hz. Heavy vibration induced constraints energy transfer creating the standard frequency to 4.5 Hz (Chen et al., 2007). Vibration causes the pilot to suffer Z-axis displacement. Z-axis displacements are emitted from the floor of the aircraft this is caused by vibration transmission emitted from the buttocks of a vertically seated individual. In any event, most body parts are engaged either hand, legs, buttocks, head, and back (Gawron & Priest, 2001).

However, the neck, which is supporting the head does nothing and experiences severe vibration. Naturally, the neck is configured to support diverse vibration frequencies like when one is running (Hung-Sheng et al., 2013). Nonetheless, the neck is constrained severe if it has additional weight to support. Vibration, vertical sitting problems, and long working hours are the primary cause factors of spine problems. In fact, neck induced vibrations is primary responsible for the development of the neck and back muscle fatigue (Chen et al., 2007). Constrained neck and back impairs the brain central processing functions forcing the pilot to develop severe vision problems (Gallagher et al., 2008).

Cognitive Risk

Chronic mental problems caused by fatigue are a result of impaired judgment. Pilots exposed to these conditions are at a greater risk of suffering myoelectric disturbances because of the muscle fatigue and relative neck pains. In fact, EMG frequency has outcompeted by demanding neuron-functions. In addition, constant neck pain result in disturbances related to cognitive judgments. Impairments of muscles, heightened abrupt activities, respiratory problems and constrained visions impact heavily on the quality of syntax required in a given activity. Research has established that pilots working in demanding condition not only suffer a mental breakdown while at work but socially (Gawron & Priest, 2001).

Technically, constant neck pain demands increased muscular and electrical activity. In any event, the body must work optimally in order to counter the combat rising demands like visions, gravity, and posture problems. However, the body spends more concentration in responding to weight problems constraining the neck. Constant neck problems often force the pilot to develop lower output of neuro-functions. The pilot not only suffers mild and temporary fatigue, but the breakdown of neuron-process. In fact, the pilot will start forgetting basic operational processes because of the deeply drenched fatigue problems. In addition, the pilot may develop chronic physical problems because of the declined cognitive levels (Falla, 2004).