Prestimulus Alpha as a Precursor to Errors in a UAV Target Orientation Detection Task

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) have become an important component of military aviation operations and skilled UAV operators are a valuable part of this component. Currently there is a need for improved methods of facilitating the development of mission level skills among operators, including target identification and maintenance of navigational awareness. Toward this aim, we examined the extent to which transient neurophysiological states could be used as an index of engagement within a visual detection training paradigm. Participants learned to distinguish stationary indicators of directional change in movement for target tanks located within a complex vehicle formation background. Fast alpha activity (10-13 Hz) one second before targets were presented differed as a function of type of error that would be made and task difficult. Prestimulus alpha shows promise as a candidate metric for on-line monitoring of learner engagement and workload.