Annual report 2001 on FOI:s research on Human Factors and Physiology

This report summarises the research from the fiscal year 2001 within the Swedish Defence Research Agency in the domain of Human Factors and Physiology. The report presents a summing-up of the aim and the direction of the research domain and the national and international development. The results of the research are summarised and the activities in each project are described. The aim of the research is to support the Armed Forces to meet the requirements of complex and difficult environmental conditions and battlefield missions in the 21st century. Within the domain, the research comprises information presentation, decision making, decision support, data fusion, work workload (mental and physical), performance, sleep deprivation and food intake. New principles for man-machine interfaces have been studied and suggested for the design of cockpit displays, displays for "the Future Soldier", and for marine platforms. Decision support for a ground surveillance system, and a platform-based decision support system including a data fusion node and sensor management node has been further developed. Psychophysiological models for dynamic evaluation of pilot performance for systems development and mission evaluation have been developed and tested in real missions. Physiological mechanisms behind the negative effects of increased gravitational (G)forces for pilots flying in a 9 G aircraft have been studied and also protection and counter measures against breathing difficulties, arm pain, muscle fatigue in the cervical spine, and pain in neck muscles. A comparison of the Swedish anti-G suit (AGE-39) and the anti-G suit Libelle was made. The G-protection afforded by the Libelle suit is not adequate for use in a 9-G aircraft. Physiological mechanisms and the effects of oxygen in the breathing gas on submarine escape from pressurised submarine was studied. Within exercise- and thermal physiology a model for the simulation of thermal IR-camouflage and a model for predicting the risk for human skin frostbyte was updated. Physical demands on men and women within the Armed Forces were studied and compared. The interaction of food, time of day and sleep loss on metabolism, sleepiness and performance have been studied. Sleep loss leads to impaired executive functions. International collaboration with several countries exists.