MInD-Map

With the MinD-MAP project, the research studio PCA is developing a new product line to measure cognitive attention and optimize training for pilots.

If the training is too complicated, the trainees learn nothing; if it is too simple, they become bored. Therefore, the success of a training depends essentially on the cognitive attention of the trainees. We want to create a new solution for trainers that makes their courses much more effective. The cognitive workload of the trainees is measured so that the training can be adapted for optimal learning. The goal is to develop systems that are able to optimize learning effectiveness by providing the right amount of demand while avoiding unproductive overload.

Thus the Research Studios Austria Forschungsgesellschaft (RSA FG) together with the project partners Noldus Information Technology BV, the world market leader for software and hardware solutions for behavioural research of animals and humans, and the University of Vienna start a strategic cooperation for the development of new training systems.

In the next 20 years, 804,000 new aviation pilots will be needed worldwide, which can be trained more efficiently with the help of MinDMAP. The Research Studio PCA is building on its expertise in Aware Systems and Cognitive ICT and is researching a software module that continuously measures mental characteristics such as attention, cognitive load, stress and emotional state.

The application ranges from simple measurements of attention levels to sophisticated multimodal sensor data that provide precise feedback on the perception and distribution of visual attention of, for example, a pilot. In more demanding training situations, such as simulated flight cockpits or ship bridges, it will even be possible to use the output dynamically to adjust the training scenario during the course. Is the task too easy? Summon a storm! Is the mental workload too high? Make the task easier!

The project will realize

1. A product capable of assessment and modeling of cognitive (attentional) states
   The main output of the project will be a software module which continually measures a number of mental characteristics of a person, integrated into a broader solution. The characteristics will include attention, cognitive load, stress and emotional state.
2. Versatility in application and complexity
   This software will be configurable, so that it can be applied in diverse markets. Depending on the application, it will range from simple measurements using a laptop webcam (e.g. blink rate and basic facial expressions to measure the attention/boredom level for the audience of a speaker) through to sophisticated multi-modal sensor data giving precise feedback of the mental states of a pilot training in a simulator.
3. Transparency, traceability and trust
   The software will also be integrated in a smart way in the solutions, so that, for instance, a trainer can automatically generate video clips of all the occasions when the audience was bored or interested.