Effects of input device and latency on performance while training to pilot a simulated micro-unmanned aerial vehicle

"The effects of input device and latency in training to manually pilot a simulated micro-aerial vehicle (MAV) were investigated. Our prior research suggested that performance was superior when using a game controller as opposed to a mouse during missions in which maneuvering skill and attention to sensory imagery were critical. This experiment investigated whether effects would persist when participants were tested in a novel environment and when some realistic latency was imposed between input command and MAV response. Fifty-six participants were trained to operate a MAV in one simulated environment and then tested with two new missions in a novel environment. Four between-group conditions were examined, formed by crossing two 2-level factors; input device (game controller vs mouse) and latency period (no time delay vs. 500 ms delay). The effects of input device replicated our prior research and also transferred to the novel environment, suggesting that input device rather than spatial learning was responsible for the differences in performance. No substantial effects of delay were found"--P. i.