TouchAID Touchscreen Analog Input Device

US Navy carrier recovery operations are executed under any conditions. Margins of error are small, as failed approaches can lead to catastrophic consequences. Landing Signal Officers (LSOs) are Naval Aviators who facilitate the safe and expeditious recovery of aircraft aboard aircraft carriers. As technology has advanced, LSOs have better information and systems to guide aircraft to the deck; however, the Landing Signal Officer Display System (LSODS), which displays and configures this information has fallen behind. Specifically, the control interface used to navigate its deep and complex menus is unintuitive (in form and proximity to display outputs) and inefficient. To modernize the LSODS and enhance LSO performance through increased efficiency and lowered cognitive workload, Charles River Analytics and our partners at Carrier Landing Consultants propose to design and demonstrate a prototype system for a Touchscreen Analog Input Device (TouchAID). TouchAID is an overlaid screen bezel for the LSODS displays and a series of intelligently-located (based on LSO tasks and workflows) analog buttons that activate the touchscreen, while providing positive indication feedback through visual and haptic modalities. TouchAID provides buttons with the tactile response of traditional analog buttons, but overlaid on a touchscreen to map directly with display effects and provide reprogrammability.