Frames of Reference for Helicopter Electronic Maps: The Relevance of Spatial Cognition and Componential Analysis

Maps are important for most forms of navigational flight, yet for helicopter flight they are critical. Computer-generated map displays for Nap-of-the-Earth (NOE) and low-level helicopter flight were configured according to previous research on maps, navigational problem solving and spatial cognition in large-scale environments. Interest centered on different frame-of-reference representations. The north-up map emphasized consistency of object location, characteristic of an earth-centered frame of reference. The track-up map emphasized map-terrain congruency, characteristic of an ego-centered frame of reference. Twenty skilled pilots used the maps to complete several navigational tasks that occurred within a realistic simulation program tailored for helicopter navigation. Findings revealed an interesting pattern of map-task dependencies. A componential analysis suggests that different cognitive components such as orienting and absolute object location are supported to varying degrees by properties of different frames of reference. These findings are important for designers of helicopter map displays.