Author Biography
Dr. Nick Wilson is an Associate Professor of Aviation at the University of North Dakota. Prof. Wilson has authored several manuscripts on fatigue, cognitive workload, as well as topics on student motivation and aviation sustainability. Prior to joining faculty, Dr. Wilson worked in the airlines/aerospace industry in several capacities, from airline operations, airline flight operations training, and aerospace supply chain. Along with Dr. Kouhyar Tavakolian, Dr. Wilson holds a patent on haptic cueing embedded within an aviation headset.
Dr. Jessica Van Bree is a Research Specialist at the Research Institute for Autonomous Systems at the University of North Dakota. Her research focuses on human performance, cognitive workload, and psychophysiological measures of attention and decision-making in complex environments, with an emphasis on enhancing situational awareness, human-autonomy teaming, and operational safety in aviation and aerospace systems.
Matthew Cleveland served as an undergraduate research assistant at the University of North Dakota at the time of this study. He is now a First Officer at a regional airline in the United States.
Sunny Charakuru served as an undergraduate research assistant at the University of North Dakota at the time of this study.
Dr. Thomas Petros is a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of North Dakota. His research spans cognitive and experimental psychology, including studies on memory, attention, and the physiological and cognitive effects of various interventions on human performance.
Dr. F. Richard Ferraro is the Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of North Dakota, where his research addresses cognition, information processing, neuropsychology, and life-span development. He has authored over 320 publications and serves as Editor-in-Chief of Current Psychology.
Dr. Kouhyar Tavakolian is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of North Dakota, where he directs the BioInnovation Zone and serves as UND Site Director for the NSF I/UCRC Center to Stream Healthcare in Place. His research focuses on biological signal and image processing and biomedical instrumentation, and he has secured over $33 million in competitive funding from agencies including NSF, NIH, DOD, ARPA-H, and the Canadian Space Agency. Along with Dr. Nick Wilson, Dr. Tavakolian holds a patent on haptic cueing embedded within an aviation headset.
Key words
pilot, tactile, headset, alerting, haptic
Abstract
This study evaluated the effectiveness of tactile cueing integrated into a pilot’s headset on pilot altitude control during simulated instrument conditions. Pilots typically rely on visual and auditory inputs to maintain situational awareness, but in high-workload or instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), these channels can become overloaded. One underutilized alternative for alerting is a tactile cueing apparatus. Using an X-Plane simulation of a Piper Archer equipped with a G-1000 avionics suite, 39 FAA-certified pilots flew two precision approaches. The experimental group (n = 20) received haptic cues via ear seal-embedded tactors when deviating from assigned altitude or glideslope. The control group (n = 19) received no tactile feedback. Results showed that the experimental group performed 41% fewer altitude deviations (p = .001) across both approaches. These findings support prior research indicating that tactile interventions can enhance SA and increase performance by providing an additional sensory channel for operational decision-making.
Scholarly Commons Citation
Wilson, N. D.,
Van Bree, J.,
Cleveland, M.,
Charakuru, S.,
Petros, T.,
Ferraro, R.,
& Tavakolian, K.
(2026).
Evaluation of Tactile Cueing Embedded in an Aviation Headset on Pilot Altitude Control.
Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research, 35(2).
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58940/2329-258X.2279
Included in
Aviation Safety and Security Commons, Cognitive Neuroscience Commons, Ergonomics Commons, Other Aerospace Engineering Commons
