Papers by Rafal Lewkowicz
Accident Analysis & Prevention
The ability to properly receive information and respond to stimuli is a prerequisite for road saf... more The ability to properly receive information and respond to stimuli is a prerequisite for road safety. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in oculomotor activity under conditions of increasing cognitive load depending on personality traits in older drivers (65 years and above). We assessed 44 male active drivers (M = 69, SD = 8.1) in a road traffic simulator in the dual-task paradigm: n-back reaction test (central task) and memory test (peripheral task). During the test in the simulator, oculomotor activity was recorded. Drivers' personality traits were determined using the EPQ-R questionnaire. With the increase of cognitive load in drivers with high levels of neuroticism and extraversion, the time of saccades and fixation significantly increased. The decrease in the effectiveness of visual attention shifting in older drivers intensified as the difficulty of performing tasks increased and manifested itself in longer saccade and fixation times. A higher level of neuroticism and the resulting stress and emotional tension can translate into a greater tendency to make mistakes in older drivers.
The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 2020
Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether pilots and non-pilots differ in their suscepti... more Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether pilots and non-pilots differ in their susceptibility to spatial disorientation (SD) during a flight in various disorienting scenarios, and in coping with SD. Background: Pilot selection is relevant in assessing pilots' susceptibility to SD. However, SD-related accidents indicate that it may not be fully effective. Method: A set of 12 flight sequences (six containing an SD conflict, three with vestibular and three with visual illusions) was flown by military pilots (N = 20; age: M = 31.6; SD = 8.22) and non-pilots (N = 20; age: M = 30.95; SD = 7.72) in a flight simulator specially designed for SD research and training. The number and mean magnitude of control reversal errors (CREs) were calculated along with the effects of SD conflict on flight performance. Results: With two exceptions, in all SD-conflict flights, the mean number of CREs increased. For mean magnitudes of CREs, the same effects were not observed. Pilots and non-pilots differed in disorientation conditions (M = 4.5 ± 1.95 vs M = 2.6 ± 2.41) only in one profile (shape constancy illusion). In the other two (false horizon and leans illusions), the applied SD cues significantly affected their flight performance. Conclusion: Although the effects of SD cues on flight performance were observed, the applied disorientation scenario would not be useful in the pilot selection procedure. To provide the criteria to select pilot candidates, other disorientation scenarios, or even a different flight simulator should be considered.
Streszczenie W artykule przedstawiono dotychczas niepublikowane w polskim piśmiennictwie metody m... more Streszczenie W artykule przedstawiono dotychczas niepublikowane w polskim piśmiennictwie metody modelowania fizycznego i matematycznego receptorów narządu przedsionkowego człowieka. Charakterystykę modeli poprzedzono opisem budowy i zasady działania receptorów przyspieszeń kątowych i liniowych tego narządu. Przedstawiono sposoby modelowania kanałów półkolistych, narządów otolitowych oraz zjawisk fizjologicznych towarzyszących pobudzaniom narządu przedsionkowego. Opisano stosowane podejścia przy wyznaczaniu wartości stałych czasowych modelu. Na podstawie charakterystyk częstotliwościowych przeprowadzono analizę właściwości dynamicznych modeli receptorów, wskazując spośród nich te, których odpowiedź najdokładniej odwzorowuje fizjologię narządu. Prezentowane modele matematyczne mogą posłużyć do badania możliwości wystąpienia u człowieka w ruchu lądowym, powietrznym i morskim zaburzeń percepcji postaw i ruchu, powodujących zaburzenia równowagi oraz chorobę lokomocyjną. Słowa kluczowe: m...
Celem prezentowanych badań była ocena przydatności dynamicznego symulatora lotu (wirówki przeciąż... more Celem prezentowanych badań była ocena przydatności dynamicznego symulatora lotu (wirówki przeciążeniowej HTC-07) do odtwarzania krytycznej fazy lotu samolotu F-16. Ocena przydatności symulatora polegała na porównaniu przyspieszenia liniowego oraz prędkości kątowej oddziałujących na pilota w locie rzeczywistym z przyspieszeniem oddziałującym na niego podczas odtwarzania tego lotu w symulatorze. Do oceny zgodności tych wielkości zastosowano pierwiastek błędu średniokwadratowego oraz współczynnik korelacji liniowej. Biorąc pod uwagę, że zaburzenia wzrokowe oraz utrata świadomości u pilota są wynikiem głównie składowej pionowej przyspieszenia liniowego, to niedostateczna zgodność w odtwarzaniu pozostałych składowych tego przyspieszenia oraz składowych prędkości kątowej nie dyskwalifikuje tego symulatora z możliwości jego zastosowania w badaniach przyczyn poważanych incydentów i wypadków lotniczych.
Ergonomics, 2021
In modern aviation, in particular in the military context, increasingly many aviation tasks are p... more In modern aviation, in particular in the military context, increasingly many aviation tasks are performed at night. To improve the safety of night flights, night vision goggles (NVGs) are commonly used. This study aimed to examine whether changes in ophthalmic parameters during NVGs use vary depending on phosphor screen type (green or white coded as P43 and P45 respectively). Thirteen participants were studied during a 2-hour visual task in a night vision laboratory. Before and after NVGs use, we examined visual acuity, pachymetry, critical flicker-frequency thresholds, stereoscopic and contrast vision. During the use of NVGs, visual acuity, intraocular pressure and eye refraction were measured. We found no difference in visual performance between NVGs with green and white phosphor screens; however, NVGs use in general may lead to subjective eye fatigue, neck pain and headaches associated with the time of wearing and the weight of the helmet with additional equipment attached.
International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 2020
The study aimed to establish the current incidence and severity of spatial disorientation (SD) in... more The study aimed to establish the current incidence and severity of spatial disorientation (SD) in Polish military pilots when flying different aircraft types over their entire careers, and to determine how SD training and pilots' flight experience might benefit their recognition of situations that may cause SD. Material and Methods: Overall, 176 military Polish pilots (aged 33.8±7.72 years, the number of flying hours: 1194±941) flying different aircraft types, who attended the aviation medicine course, were surveyed and asked to report their episodes of SD. To collect anonymous data, a postal SD questionnaire (INFO PUB 61/117/5) was used. Results: In the overall incidence rate of SD (96%), the most commonly experienced SD illusion was "loss of horizon due to atmospheric conditions" (81%). More SD incidents were reported by pilots who had received SD training. Some differences in the categories of the most commonly experienced SD illusion episodes between aircraft types were found. A severe episode adversely affecting flight safety was categorized by 10% of the respondents. Conclusions: In Polish military aviation, episodes of SD are a significant threat to aviation safety. There is evidence for the beneficial effects of SD training in the improvement of pilots' ability to recognize those factors that lead to SD.
Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour, 2020
Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether in older male drivers the level of information pr... more Objectives: This study aimed to examine whether in older male drivers the level of information processing under increasing cognitive workload varies with the level of personality traits. Method: The study involved 60 male, active drivers aged between 65 and 81 (M = 71, SD = 4.4). During passive driving they performed central (a test in the n-back scheme, in three cognitive workload levels) and peripheral (memorizing objects characteristic for road traffic) tasks presented simultaneously in the central and peripheral visual fields. A wideangle high-fidelity collimated visual system was used to display visual stimuli. In the central task, the reaction time and its correctness were measured, while the peripheral task measured the number of memorized objects. The EPQ-R questionnaire was used to assess personality traits, and the memory functions were assessed using the MMSE test. Results: As the central task-induced cognitive workload increases, the performance of both central and peripheral tasks deteriorates. These tasks were performed less accurately by drivers with a higher level of psychoticism than those with a lower level of this trait. This dependency related to all levels of cognitive workload. In contrast, the drivers with a higher level of neuroticism showed a lower level of performance of the peripheral task than those with a low level of this trait. This dependency concerned only the central task with a medium cognitive workload. Conclusion: The level of personality traits, especially the ones related to the emotional sphere, contributed to the decrease in the effectiveness of action (longer reaction time, increase in the number of errors, decrease in the number of memorized objects) in the conditions of increasing cognitive workload. A higher level of neuroticism and psychoticism can be conducive to making errors on the road. This applies especially to situations that pose high demands on the driver's cognitive system.
The Polish Journal of Aviation Medicine, Bioengineering and Psychology, 2018
In comparison to high level of knowledge of aircraft dynamics, the knowledge of a pilot in the hu... more In comparison to high level of knowledge of aircraft dynamics, the knowledge of a pilot in the human-aircraft system still appears to be insuffi cient. There have been a wide variety of studies and models describing the human's behavior and perception, especially in the fl ight environment. However, only few of them concern the dynamics of spatial orientation perception. This article deals with one of the most important aspects of aviation physiology. The aim of this paper is to consolidate information on the methods for modelling of the human perception of spatial orientation. This knowledge could be useful for further model's development. Systematic review, including publications, conference materials, chapters in books, diploma theses, doctoral dissertations and reports available in electronic databases. Most of the models of the human perception of spatial orientation currently use one of three techniques for perception estimating: state observer, Kalman's fi lter and Bayesian estimation. These models are able to mimic orientation perceptions, linear and circular vection, rotation and acceleration in the light, as well as estimate vestibular-ocular refl ex.
The International Journal of Aerospace Psychology, 2018
Objective: The aim of this study was to test the effects of visual and vestibular spatial disorie... more Objective: The aim of this study was to test the effects of visual and vestibular spatial disorientation on the cognitive performance of military aviators while they were piloting a flight simulator. Background: Spatial disorientation (SD), the inability to correctly determine the position and orientation of the aircraft in relation to the ground, poses a serious threat in aviation and can impair the cognitive performance of pilots while flying. More evidence is needed on the effects of visual and vestibular SD on cognition in flight simulators. Method: Pilots performed an auditory selective attention (duration discrimination) task (Experiment 1, N = 16) or an auditory working memory (Nback) task (Experiment 2, N = 16) while completing 6 different flight profiles in the disorientation and control conditions in the GYRO-IPT flight simulator. The flight scenarios included 3 visual illusions (false horizon, shape constancy, size constancy) and 3 vestibular illusions (somatogyral illusion, Coriolis effect, the leans). Results: In both experiments the cognitive performance (task accuracy) decreased for flight profiles with the leans illusion. Also, the flight performance (measured as the number of control reversal errors) was worse for the false horizon illusion and for the somatogyral illusion in both experiments. Conclusion: The results suggest that SD, particularly the vestibular illusion of the leans, can impair selective attention and working memory processes.
Aerospace medicine and human performance, 2018
A visual stimulus change detection is an extremely important pilot's cognitive process. This ... more A visual stimulus change detection is an extremely important pilot's cognitive process. This is especially true when pilot errors caused by perceptual failures have a negative effect on his/her spatial orientation. The aim of this research was to investigate the effect of the change detection flicker task (CDFT) on pilots' response to spatial disorientation (SD) events. We hypothesized that the additional cognitive processing, based on CDFT, produces more deterioration of the pilots' spatial orientation. Using an SD flight simulator, 50 male military pilots (M = 27.2; SD = 6.68) were exposed to 12 flight sequences. Of the 12 flight profiles, 6 involved an SD conflict, with 3 involving motion illusions and 3 with visual illusions. We measured and compared pilots' flight performance in response to visual and motion illusion conflicts across two simulations (CDFT vs. control) and SD conditions (nonconflict vs. conflict). Of the six applied illusions, significant differe...
The Polish Journal of Aviation Medicine, Bioengineering and Psychology, 2017
This is an open-access ar cle distributed under the terms of the Crea ve Commons A ribu on Non-co... more This is an open-access ar cle distributed under the terms of the Crea ve Commons A ribu on Non-commercial License (h p://crea vecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0), which permits use, distribu on, and reproduc on in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and is otherwise in compliance with the license. Motion sickness is an undesirable phenomenon and continues to be an unresolved problem. Therefore, research is conducted aiming to understand the etiology of this disease better, as well as to anticipate its symptoms. This research is increasingly supported by numerical calculations, for the needs of which models of severity of motion sickness symptoms are developed. The aim of this paper is to review and characterize the models of severity of motion sickness symptoms available in the literature, as well as examples of the use of these models in research. Systematic review. The fi rst part describes the four most commonly used models of severity of motion sickness symptoms. A graphic representation of models and mathematical relationships were presented, based on which severity of the disease is determined. Finally, several examples of the use of these models in research are listed. Taking into account the limitations of using certain models, the most prospective model for predicting severity of motion sickness symptoms was presented. The specifi c advantages of this model were described, as well as the conditions under which the study using this model should be conducted, in order to ensure reliable results.
The Polish Journal of Aviation Medicine and Psychology, 2014
Background: The objective of this study was to verify the impact of the Coriolis eff ect and alti... more Background: The objective of this study was to verify the impact of the Coriolis eff ect and altitude hypoxia of intensity typical for aviation on the eye movements of pilots using state-of-theart oculographic equipment. The activity of the eyes is one of the determinants of pilot's spatial orientation during the fl ight. Even a short-timed loss of vision or impairment of the vision organ may lead to irreversible, often tragic consequences. Preliminary studies available to date were performed in the 1970s with no eff ect of interest being observed. However, much progress has been made in oculographic methods from that time. Coriolis eff ect, eye movements, fi xations, fl ight simulation, hypoxia, saccades
Human Factors, May 14, 2022
Aerospace medicine and human performance, 2018
The auditory system is not as heavily involved in the pilot's spatial orientation as the visu... more The auditory system is not as heavily involved in the pilot's spatial orientation as the visual and vestibular systems; however, it plays a significant role in the cockpit for communication and warning information. The aim of this research was to investigate the combined effect of selective auditory attention and simulator-induced spatial disorientation (SD) cues on pilots' flight performance. We hypothesized that the flight performance in both disoriented and oriented flight profiles would be impaired by selective auditory attention. Using an SD simulator, 40 male military pilots ( = 31.9; = 7.41) were exposed to 12 flight sequences, where 6 contained a SD-conflict, 3 with motion illusions and 3 with visual illusions. The pilots performed a duration discrimination task (DDT) involving sound stimuli while completing these profiles under SD-conflict and nonconflict conditions. In five flight profiles tested, the DDT and SD cues increased the pilots' cognitive workload, ad...
Mechanika w Lotnictwie ML-XIX 2020, 2020
Przedstawiona praca jest próbą określenia przyczyny występowania w dynamicznym symulatorze lotu n... more Przedstawiona praca jest próbą określenia przyczyny występowania w dynamicznym symulatorze lotu nieprzyjemnych doznań ruchowych niespotykanych w locie rzeczywistym. Celem przeprowadzonych badań była odpowiedź na pytanie, czy szybkość zmiany przyspieszenia liniowego kabiny wirówki przeciążeniowej może mieć związek z występowaniem u pilota objawów choroby lokomocyjnej. W badaniu zastosowano bodziec ruchowy w postaci profilu przyspieszeń interwałowych utworzonych przy wykorzystaniu modelu kinematyki wirówki przeciążeniowej HTC-07. Każdy z pięciu utworzonych profili różnił się szybkością zmiany generowanego przyspieszenia (1, 2, 3, 4 lub 6 G/s). Do oceny bodźców odpowiedzialnych za występowanie choroby symulatorowej zastosowano model nasilenia objawów choroby lokomocyjnej oparty na teorii subiektywnego poczucia kierunku grawitacji. Badania przeprowadzone metodą symulacji komputerowej wykazały, że w każdym z analizowanych profili występuje bodziec ruchowy odpowiedzialny za występowanie c...
The Polish Journal of Aviation Medicine, Bioengineering and Psychology
Statutory activity of WIML. Source of support: Despite the ongoing disputes about the need to use... more Statutory activity of WIML. Source of support: Despite the ongoing disputes about the need to use motion systems in fl ight simulators, the development of this component of simulators has been ongoing since the beginning of aviation. The aim of the article is to discuss the importance of the motion system in the simulation of motion stimuli aff ecting the aircraft pilot. Selected motion systems of fl ight simulators and reasons for using these systems are described. The benefi ts of the use of motion stimuli in fl ight simulators are discussed and possible directions of development of the motion system are presented.
Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2021
The ability to properly receive information and respond to stimuli is a prerequisite for road saf... more The ability to properly receive information and respond to stimuli is a prerequisite for road safety. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in oculomotor activity under conditions of increasing cognitive load depending on personality traits in older drivers (65 years and above). We assessed 44 male active drivers (M = 69, SD = 8.1) in a road traffic simulator in the dual-task paradigm: n-back reaction test (central task) and memory test (peripheral task). During the test in the simulator, oculomotor activity was recorded. Drivers’ personality traits were determined using the EPQ-R questionnaire. With the increase of cognitive load in drivers with high levels of neuroticism and extraversion, the time of saccades and fixation significantly increased. The decrease in the effectiveness of visual attention shifting in older drivers intensified as the difficulty of performing tasks increased and manifested itself in longer saccade and fixation times. A higher level of neuroti...
Uploads
Papers by Rafal Lewkowicz