Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2015

City

Dayton

Abstract

Enroute air traffic control (ATC) relies heavily on simulation in training, research, and concept development applications. However, it has little domain-specific research on the effects of simulation fidelity and lacks a standardized definition of simulation fidelity in the literature. A survey of ATC industry professionals shows that simulation fidelity is not perceived to be well defined for the domain of enroute ATC, regardless of respondent nationality, experience, use of simulation or gender. Parts of the operational environment that survey respondents felt were important components in a definition of simulation fidelity are reported; Communications is the most important component regardless of nationality, experience, use of simulation or gender. Implications for the development of a standardized definition of simulation fidelity are discussed. Simulation fidelity has been researched and investigated for over half a century, yet it remains a somewhat nebulous concept today. The high-level concept of simulation fidelity can be best understood from a definition posited by Hays and Singer: “Simulation fidelity is the degree of similarity between the training situation and the operational situation which is simulated (1989, p. 50).” While this definition is intuitive, more detail is needed for operational applications such as determining the most effective simulation environments for training. Hays and Singer have also provided a more comprehensive definition: “Simulation fidelity is the degree of similarity between the training situation and the operational situation which is simulated. It is a two dimensional measurement of this similarity in terms of: (1) the physical characteristics, for example, visual, spatial, kinesthetic, [auditory], etc.; and (2) the functional characteristics, for example the informational, and stimulus and response options of the training situation (1989, p.50).”

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