A preliminary investigation of the time tunnels display design technique

Two forms of decision support were evaluated using a simulated process cont rol task environment. The time tunnel display design concept provides tempo ral (historical) information about the value of variables and relationships over time using perspective geometry and the depth plane. The compensated level variable is a quickened display that provides estimates of system sta te that is not confounded by counterintuitive and time-delayed thermodynami c effects. These two forms of decision support were applied factorially (pr esent, absent) to produce four experimental conditions. The results for sys tem control and fault detection tasks indicate that display quickening impr oved performance significantly while the time tunnel displays did not. The results for data extraction tasks (reporting the values of system variables ) were dependent upon the quality of the mapping between properties in the domain and visual features in the display. Methodological factors that may have influenced the results are considered and subsequent evaluations of th e time tunnels design technique, using alternative methodologies, are discu ssed. It is concluded that the time tunnels display design concept has pote ntial as a form of decision support and is worthy of additional research ef forts. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.