Reshaping Airpower: Development of an Imprint Model to Analyze the Effects of Manned-Unmanned Teaming On Operator Mental Workload

Due to the advent of autonomous technology coupled with the expense of manned aircraft, the Department of Defense (DoD) is developing affordable, expendable Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to be operated in conjunction with jet fighters. With a single pilot commanding the UAVs while piloting their aircraft, operators may find it challenging to manage all systems should the system design not be conducive to a steady state level of workload. To understand the potential effects of manned-unmanned teaming on the pilot’s cognitive workload, an Improved Performance Research Integration Tool (IMPRINT) workload model was developed. The model predicts pilot workload in a simulated environment when interacting with the cockpit and multiple UAVs to provide insight into the effect of Human-Agent Interactions on workload and mission performance. This research concluded that peaks in workload occur for the pilot during periods of high communications load and this communication may be degraded or delayed during air-to-air engagements.