Research Studies

Our researchers are often seeking participants for aeronautical research studies. Be a part of the future of aviation by participating in cutting-edge research. Please review the participant criteria and reach out to the appropriate lab/researcher if interested!

If you are a WISA Member recruiting participants for an aeronautical research study, please email us with your recruitment scripts to be added to this page. 

Current Studies

Principal Investigator: Dr. Shi Cao
Student Investigators: Artem Dolhyi, Rongbing (Robin) Xu

We are conducting a study to investigate how physiological data and flight simulator performance can be used to model pilot workload, stress, and situational awareness during various flight tasks. The goal is to support the development of objective and inclusive pilot assessment methods.

Participants will operate a simulated Cessna 172 aircraft in X-Plane 12 and perform a series of flight tasks under calm and crosswind conditions. Physiological signals (brain activity, heart rate, eye movement, and skin conductivity) will be recorded using non-invasive devices. Participants will also self-report their perceived stress, workload, and situational awareness after each task. The session will last approximately 60–75 minutes, and participants will be awarded $10 upon completion.

To participate, you must: (1) be between 18–45 years old, (2) be a licensed pilot or a student pilot with at least 10 logged flight hours and experience with standard flight tasks, and (3) be comfortable wearing monitoring devices.

The research will be conducted in the EC4 Building, Room 2006, at the University of Waterloo. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board (ORE#47089).

If you are interested in participating, please contact Artem at adolhyi@uwaterloo.ca with “Simulated Pilot Workload Study” in the subject line.

Principal Study Investigator: Dr. Michael Barnett-Cowan

We are looking for participants to take part in a research study investigating how advanced flight training technologies can be used to assess and evaluate pilot performance. This study will examine how different training tools influence flight task execution, including takeoff, climb, cruise, steep turns, and landing in the PI-1000 Flight Training Device. Some participants will also receive training on Microsoft Flight Simulator before testing. The study will involve either 1 or 2 sessions, each lasting approximately 2.5 hours. Participants will be compensated $10 per hour.

To participate, you must: (1) be between 18-64 years of age, (2) have normal or corrected-to-normal vision (contact lenses permitted; glasses not compatible with eye-tracking glasses), (3) not be diagnosed with any neurological disorder or middle ear condition, (4) not have a history of seizures or motion sickness.

No prior flight experience is required to participate. Participants will be grouped based on their experience level.

This research will be conducted in the Toby Jenkins Applied Health Research Building at the University of Waterloo. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board (ORE#45625).

If you are interested in participating, please contact Narein Chenthivelnathan at nchenthi@uwaterloo.ca with “Flight Training Study” in the subject line.

Principal Study Investigator: Dr. Michael Barnett-Cowan

We are looking for people to participate in a research study that involves examining eye, hand, and limb movements during simulated flying in the ALSIM AL250 flight simulator. This study will examine whether different eye movement patterns/strategies emerge depending on the simulation flight task difficulty and level of expertise. This study will be completed within one session lasting approximately 90 minutes each. Participants will be compensated $25 an hour.

To participate you must be: (1) between 18-64 years of age, (2) have normal or corrected to normal vision (i.e., wear glasses or contacts), (3) not be diagnosed with any neurological disorder, and (4) have some knowledge on piloting an aircraft.

This research will be conducted in WISA Flight Simulator Lab. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through a University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board. If you are interested in participating, please contact Naila Ayala (nayala@uwaterloo.ca) with FlightsimVR in the subject line.

We are looking for people to take part in a study that involves recording eye movements during simulated flying via a ALSIM AL250 Flight Simulator. The study is being conducted to gain insight into the development of skill proficiency and competency in new pilots as they learn how to control and fly a plane. Participants will be asked to perform various  flight tasks using a flight simulator in different situations while wearing eye tracking glasses. The outcomes of this research will help develop evidence based, standardized and objective measures to monitor and assess progress in skill development. This study will be completed in 2 sessions: (1) first experimental session in the simulator (max 120 min.); (2) second experimental session (max. 120 min.).  The whole experiment commitment will take approximately 2 weeks. Participants will receive $35/hr remuneration

Principal Investigators: Ewa Niechwiej-Szwedo, Andrew Duchowski, Elizabeth Irving, Shi Cao

To participate you must: (1) have your instructor rating (minimum class 4); (2) have a current class one medical certificate for pilots; (3) be fluent in English for the purpose of reading and interpreting instructions.

This research will be conducted in Flight Simulator Lab. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Claudia at ca6marti@uwaterloo.ca

Principal Study Investigator: Dr. John Edison Muñoz Cardona

Co-Investigator: Dr. Shi Cao

We are looking for individuals to participate in a study aimed at assessing user experience and physiological responses while engaging with interactive simulation technologies for skill training.

Participants will fly the ALSIM AL 250 Flight Simulator and perform a series of flight tasks, including taxiing, normal takeoff, circuit flying, and normal approach and landing. During the simulated flight, researchers will collect data such as flight data recording, video recording, audio recording, heart rate, skin conductivity, eye movement, and flight instructor assessment. The entire study will last about one hour. Participants will receive a compensation of $10 for each hour of participation.

To be eligible for participation, you must meet the following criteria: (1) be between 18-64 years of age; (2) possess fluency in English to accurately read and interpret instructions; (3) hold a valid pilot's license (such as a Private Pilot License or Commercial Pilot License), or be a student pilot who has successfully completed their first solo flight and can execute standard radio communications, checklists, and circuit patterns; (4) able to provide informed consent. To ensure a positive user experience, individuals with the following conditions will not be eligible: visual impairments (e.g., glaucoma), balance issues, pregnancy, and medical implants (e.g., bypass).

This research will be conducted in the WISA Flight Simulator Lab at the University of Waterloo. This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through the University of Waterloo Research Ethics Board (ORE#45409).

If you are interested in participating, please contact Anika at afshafi@uwaterloo.ca with “VR Pilot Training Study” in the subject line.

WISA researchers are conducting a study to collect pilot data and build a database to support the development of computational models of pilot performance.

Participants will fly a Cessna 172 aircraft (or similar model) with a flight instructor and perform a list of basic flight tasks including engine start, taxing, normal takeoff, steep turn, stall, circuit, and normal approach and landing. During the flight, researchers will collect data such as flight data recording, video recording, heart rate, skin conductivity, eye movement, and flight instructor assessment.

The study will take about one hour. The researchers will pay for the aircraft rental and instructor fee, and will also remunerate participants for their time with $15 CAD cash. Participation is voluntary and participants can withdraw from the study session without any consequences.

To be eligible for participation, you must be a licensed pilot (e.g., Private Pilot License, Commercial Pilot License) or a student pilot who has completed the training on the tested flight manoeuvres, engine start, taxiing, normal takeoff, steep turn, stall, circuit, and normal approach and landing. Any decisions to participate or not participate will not affect your status at your organization, and participation is completely voluntary.

Please visit https://calendly.com/rongbing-xu/homlab to book a time slot, if you are interested.

If you have any questions, please contact the research team:

Robin Xu rongbing.xu@uwaterloo.ca (Research Associate)

This study has been reviewed and received ethics clearance through University of Waterloo research Ethics Board.