Measurement of pilots’ fatigue, attention and vigilance using EEG, ECG and EYE tracking in the simulated environment
DOI: 10.13111/2066-8201.2025.17.4.16
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Summary
This study validates a hybrid mathematical-heuristic model for the Human Performance Envelope (HPE), specifically focusing on the physiological measurement of pilot fatigue, attention, and vigilance. Motivated by the recognition that human error remains a primary cause of aviation accidents, the research addresses the underexplored ergonomic factors of fatigue, attention, and vigilance within the HPE framework. While previous models linked physiological variables to these factors, this work aims to empirically verify the mathematical state equations using real-time physiological data collected in a simulated environment. The experimental design involved a single pilot with 330 hours of flight experience operating a Beechcraft King Air C90GTx Full Flight Simulator. The pilot completed three distinct 15-minute flight scenarios: a baseline standard flight, a flight with moderate turbulence, and a complex flight involving turbulence, icing, and heavy precipitation. Physiological data were continuously recorded using a BIOPAC MP160 system for electrocardiography (ECG), electroencephalography (EEG), and respiration rate (RR), alongside Tobii Pro Glasses 2 for eye-tracking metrics such as pupil diameter and blink rate. Data were processed using AcqKnowledge and Tobii Pro Lab software to extract heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), and specific cerebral wave band powers (alpha, beta, delta, theta, gamma). The results demonstrated that physiological parameters were significantly impacted by flight difficulty. Heart rate increased from approximately 90 to 120 BPM during landing phases, particularly in the most complex scenario, contradicting the model’s prediction that fatigue reduces heart rate; the authors attribute this to stress responses and insufficient fatigue accumulation due to short flight durations. EEG analysis revealed that alpha band power decreased during the high-turbulence second flight, indicating increased cognitive engagement, while beta band power attenuated in the third flight, suggesting emerging fatigue. Conversely, delta and theta wave activities decreased in the final flight, indicating the pilot maintained alertness and did not reach a state of drowsiness. Gamma wave activity, associated with intense cognitive processing, was highest during the initial flight and declined in subsequent trials. The study concludes that while the mathematical model accurately predicts certain physiological trends, such as the relationship between alpha/beta waves and cognitive load, discrepancies exist regarding heart rate and HRV responses to fatigue. These deviations are likely due to the interplay of stress and the limited duration of the simulations, which prevented the onset of severe physiological fatigue. The findings underscore the complexity of isolating specific ergonomic factors and highlight the necessity of longer-duration studies to fully validate the HPE model’s predictive capabilities for fatigue and vigilance in operational aviation contexts.
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | Crossref | — | — | 1 | 2026-08-09 |
| archive | success | canonical_url | — | — | 1 | 2026-08-09 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 3 | 2026-08-10 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-08-09 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-08-09 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-08-09 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-08-09 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-nvidia | summ-v5 | 2 | 2026-08-10 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 11 | 2026-08-11 |
| verify | partial | — | — | — | 2 | 2026-08-10 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-nvidia on 2026-08-10; verification: verified_with_issues.
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- Empirical Findings: physiological data
- Methodological Resource: tool software