A low task load, long duration experiment was conducted to evaluate the impact of cyclical attention switchingstrategies on operator performance in supervisory domains. The impetus for such a study stems from the lack ofprior work to improve human-system performance in low task load supervisory domains through the use of designinterventions. In this study, a design intervention in the form of auditory alerts is introduced and the effects of thealerts are examined. The test bed consists of a video game-like simulation environment, which allows a single operatorthe ability to supervise multiple unmanned vehicles. Each participant in the study completed two different fourhour sessions, with and without the alerts. The results suggest that the alerts can be useful for operators who are distractedfor a considerable amount of time, but that the alerts may not be appropriate for operators who are able tosustain directed attention for prolonged periods.
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