Predicting the accuracy of visual search performance in the structural inspection of aircraft

The predominant tasks in aircraft inspection are those that require visual search. Speed and accuracy characterize visual search tasks. Since the trad e-off between speed and accuracy directly affects the safety, dependability acid affordability of air transportation, there is considerable motivation to express this relationship in quantitative terms. Although models of thi s trade-off have been previously proposed for various search tasks, the app licability of these models to the tasks typically required of aircraft insp ectors is limited. Thus new models of visual search that typify aircraft in spection are adopted here in order to examine the explicit trade-off betwee n speed and accuracy in this environment. Relevance to industry The models adopted here, specifically applicable to aircraft inspection, co nsider the trade-off between speed and accuracy - a trade-off that ultimate ly affects the affordability, dependability, and safety (and therefore publ ic perception of) air travel - in quantitative terms. These models also def ine the extent to which accuracy can be improved. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.