Next-Generation Navigation: Evaluating the Impact of Augmented Reality on Situation Awareness in General Aviation Cockpits

Flights in general aviation require pilots to navigate using 2D maps, which splits their attention between the cockpit and the outside environment, reducing situation awareness. Augmented reality (AR) can bridge the gap between the inside and outside world, and thus can resolve the issue of attention switches. In a mixed methods simulator study with 19 pilots, we tested an AR application that integrated invisible and hard-to-see aeronautical data and navigation features with the visible world. Results show that the AR tool enhances and accelerates orientation, and can result in flight trajectories being more accurate with AR than without AR. Situation awareness, measured with a subjective self-rating, was not increased with AR support. Participants voiced concerns about AR content occluding outside features, while positive feedback included use cases in unfamiliar areas and in low visibility, as well as highlighting of hazards.