Enhancing Pilot Performance with a SymBodic System

Increased fatigue of pilots during long flights can place both humans and machine at high risk. In this paper, we describe our research on a SymBodic (SYMbiotic BODies) system designed to minimize pilot fatigue in a simulated 48 hour mission. The system detected the pilot’s sleep breaks and used this information to plan future sleep breaks. When fatigue could not be prevented, the SymBodic system assisted the pilot by providing relevant flight information through a vibro-tactile vest. Experi- ments showed that it was difficult for the pilot to adapt to the suggested sleep schedule within the duration of the experiment, and fatigue was not avoided. However, during periods of severe sleep deprivation, the SymBodic system significantly improved piloting performance.