Integrated Mode Management Interface (IMMI)

The IMMI was intended as a replacement for the Mode Control Panel in a state of the art commerical airline cockpit. The IMMI gives the pilot a graphical user interface to the autoflight functions of the airplane. It provides a single location for assessing the current and projected behavior of the autoflight system, and controlling the autoflight system. It is based on a design principle that important conceptual distinctions should be represented by salient perceptual distinctions. The image at left shows the state of the display in a descent overspeed condition as might be caused by an unexpected tailwind. This work was funded by a series of grants from the Aviation Automation Safety Program at the NASA Ames Research Center.