Models of Human Expertise as Blueprints for Cognitive Engineering: Applications to Landmine Detection

Landmines pose a major military threat as well as a serious humanitarian problem. The difficulty of detecting buried landmines, especially modern landmines with minimal metallic content, contributes heavily to the problem. The two projects described here took a cognitive engineering approach to improve detection capability via development and implementation of scientifically principled operator training. Each analyzed and modeled the landmine detection skills of expert users of two different handheld detection systems, the PSS-12, the U.S. Army standard equipment, and the PSS-14, an advanced technology system under development at the time of this work. Model-based training programs were developed and tested. Both proved highly effective for developing detection skills, producing the greatest increases in detection rates against the most challenging targets. The US Army has adopted and now uses both programs. Results demonstrate the practical utility of information-processing models of expertise for designing instruction and developing important human skills.