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ATC-labAdvanced: An air traffic control simulator with realism and control

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Abstract

ATC-labAdvanced is a new, publicly available air traffic control (ATC) simulation package that provides both realism and experimental control. ATC-labAdvanced simulations are realistic to the extent that the display features (including aircraft performance) and the manner in which participants interact with the system are similar to those used in an operational environment. Experimental control allows researchers to standardize air traffic scenarios, control levels of realism, and isolate specific ATC tasks. Importantly, ATC-labAdvanced also provides the programming control required to cost effectively adapt simulations to serve different research purposes without the need for technical support. In addition, ATC-labAdvanced includes a package for training participants and mathematical spreadsheets for designing air traffic events. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that ATC-labAdvanced is a flexible tool for applied and basic research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia

    Shayne Loft

  2. School of Psychology, University of Queensland, 4072, Brisbane, QSLD, Australia

    Selina Fothergill & Andrew Neal

Authors
  1. Selina Fothergill
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  2. Shayne Loft
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  3. Andrew Neal
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Selina Fothergill.

Additional information

This research was supported in part by Linkage Grant LP0453978 from the Australian Research Council.

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Fothergill, S., Loft, S. & Neal, A. ATC-labAdvanced: An air traffic control simulator with realism and control. Behavior Research Methods 41, 118–127 (2009). https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.1.118

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.1.118

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