Work domain analysis for the interface design of a sonobuoy system

Tab Lamoureux Humansystems® Incorporated, Guelph, Ontario, Canada Modern sonar systems have greatly improved their sensor technology and processing techniques, but little effort has been put into display design for sonar data. The enormous amount of acoustic data presented by the traditional frequency versus time display can be overwhelming for a sonar operator to monitor and analyze. In addition to their normal sonar tasks, sonobuoy system operators manage the deployment of sonobuoys and ensure proper functioning of deployed sonobuoys. This paper describes a work domain analysis carried out as part of an interface design project targeting the sonobuoy system on board a maritime patrol aircraft. The domain of sonobuoy management and the domain of tactical situation awareness were modeled separately to address the two different aspects of the operator's work. Information requirements were drawn from the two models. Some of these requirements have significant implications for new design ideas that were previously overlooked in displays for sonobuoy systems.