bringing new benefits. Most important,
the prototype leverages the advantages
related to the embodied use of physical
objects in physical space. Let’s observe
two controllers working together to
handle aircraft arriving at the Paris-Orly airport and see how their use of
the system illustrates the beneficial
properties of tangibility in such a
critical activity.
In the scenario that follows, Paul is a
planning controller. His role is to coordinate
with adjacent sectors and prepare the flow
of arriving aircraft for Tessa, a tactical
controller, sitting next to him. Tessa’s role is
to manage traffic in her sector, monitoring
it on her radar display, and using radio
communication to give pilots clearances
for new altitudes, headings, or speeds.
Paul and Tessa share a set of paper strips
arranged on a stripboard. Printed on each
strip is the planned route of an aircraft
through their sector.
Digital feedback for physical
interactions. The system provides
rich feedback, which increases the
controllers’ confidence in the system,
as it means the system “knows” what is
happening.
It’s Friday at 4 p.m. Paul hears the
strip printer and grabs a strip for the
Turkish Airlines TH Y1825 flight, about
to enter the sector and land at Orly. He
puts the strip onto the stripboard and
quickly analyzes the situation with this
new incoming aircraft. The system
displays a rectangular halo underneath
the paper strip, colored in red to indicate
the aircraft is an arrival (blue for
departures). It also overlays the logo of
the airline onto the strip, making it easier
to locate it later on the stripboard. Some
time afterward, the pilot of THY1825
calls. Tessa then underlines the aircraft
call sign on the strip, to visually indicate
the flight is now her responsibility.
Animated feedback is displayed on the
radar screen, with a concentric circle
designating the flight…
Connecting physical and digital
information. Strip’ TIC connects
the radar and stripboard views by
establishing a visual link between the
strips and the radar symbols.
Paul observes that TH Y1825 is
inbound to ODRAN, one of the three
main arrival beacons for Orly. A light
aircraft, call sign F-GFPS, is estimated
to transit at the same time. Paul wants
to inform Tessa as quickly as possible:
He takes the strip off the board to get
her attention, and points with his pen
at the ODRAN label on the strip. This
highlights all the representations of the
flights crossing this beacon in the near
future. Tessa immediately detects the
potential conflict over ODRAN and
decides to monitor it closely. Another
aircraft is now calling: “Good afternoon,
this is Lufthansa 8950, descending
Flight Level 90 (approx. 9,000 ft.),
inbound ODRAN.” Tessa cannot find the
corresponding strip on the board—the
planner may have put it in an unexpected
place. Fortunately, the flight is highlighted
on the radar display. She points at it to
have the strip highlighted too.
Real-time paper strips. Ink printed
on paper is not dynamic, which forces
controllers to reprint strips when they
want updated information. Besides,
real-time data is available only on
the radar display, which requires the
controller to mentally consolidate the
available information.
Thanks to the real-time projection of
aircraft altitudes onto strips, Tessa notes
that THY1825 is reaching its assigned
flight level 90. She decides to allow the
aircraft to descend farther, contacts the
pilot, and gives a new altitude: 3,000
ft. She records this clearance by circling
the pre-printed 3,000 ft. label on the
The prototype leverages
the advantages related
to the embodied use
of physical objects in
physical space.
Strip'TIC mixes paper and electronic strips. The system tracks controller actions and pen input
simultaneously (here filtering on a beacon started from an interaction with the paper strip).