Effects of Vehicular Induced Motion on Target Acquisition and TrackingPerformance Using a Fixed Yoke With Thumb-Operated Tracking Control Versus a Conventional Displacement Yoke

摘要

This report describes a study designed to quantify the effects of vehicularinduced motion on tank gunner performance using two different control handles. One control was a fixed yoke that incorporated a thumb-operated tracking button. The second control was a more conventional displacement yoke which functioned like that in the current M1A1 tank. The study was conducted on a ride motion simulator which had been programmed to impart four levels of ride motion. These ride levels were derived from a simulation of the M1 tank traveling over various test courses at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Generally, as vertical acceleration increased, performance decreased for both controls, but the vertical accelerations imparted to the gunners at the more severe ride levels effected a greater reduction in time on target using the thumb button than they did when using the displacement yoke. Performance using the thumb button was more affected by target motion.