Experimental Study on the Effects of Cockpit Noise on Physiological Indicators of Pilots

Cockpit noise, as a critical environmental factor affecting flight safety, may impair pilots’ cognitive functions, leading to a decreased operational performance and decision-making errors, thereby posing potential threats to aviation safety. In order to reveal the relationship between the cockpit n...

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Main Authors: Haiming Shen, Meiqing Hao, Jiawei Ren, Kun Chen, Yang Gao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/13/4175
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author Haiming Shen
Meiqing Hao
Jiawei Ren
Kun Chen
Yang Gao
author_facet Haiming Shen
Meiqing Hao
Jiawei Ren
Kun Chen
Yang Gao
author_sort Haiming Shen
collection DOAJ
description Cockpit noise, as a critical environmental factor affecting flight safety, may impair pilots’ cognitive functions, leading to a decreased operational performance and decision-making errors, thereby posing potential threats to aviation safety. In order to reveal the relationship between the cockpit noise sound pressure level and pilot physiological indicators, and provide a scientific basis for cockpit noise airworthiness standards, this experiment takes pilot trainees as the research subject. Based on the principle of multimodal data synchronization, a sound field reconstruction system is used to reconstruct the cockpit sound field. Electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and electrodermal activity (EDA) measurements are carried out in different sound pressure level noise operating environments. The results show that with the increase in the sound pressure level, the significant suppression of α-wave activity in the occipital and parietal regions suggests that the cortical resting state is lifted and visual attention is enhanced; the enhancement of the β-wave in the frontal regions reflects the enhancement of alertness and prefrontal executive control, and the suppression of θ-wave activity in the frontal and temporal regions may indicate that cognitive tuning is suppressed, which reflects the brain’s rapid adaptive response to external noise stimuli in a high-noise environment; noise exposure triggers sustained sympathetic nerve hyperactivity, which is manifested by a significant acceleration of the heart rate and a significant increase in the mean value of skin conductance when the noise sound pressure level exceeds 70 dB(A). The correlation analysis between physiological indicators shows that cockpit noise has a multi-system synergistic effect on human physiological indicators. The experimental results indicate that noise has a significant impact on EEG, ECG, and EDA indicators.
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spelling doaj-art-248fd894d16f4d7590915818bdb4838a2025-08-20T03:17:52ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-07-012513417510.3390/s25134175Experimental Study on the Effects of Cockpit Noise on Physiological Indicators of PilotsHaiming Shen0Meiqing Hao1Jiawei Ren2Kun Chen3Yang Gao4Flight Academy, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, ChinaCollege of Safety Science and Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, ChinaCollege of Safety Science and Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, ChinaInstitute of Science and Technology Innovation, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, ChinaSino-European Institute of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation University of China, Tianjin 300300, ChinaCockpit noise, as a critical environmental factor affecting flight safety, may impair pilots’ cognitive functions, leading to a decreased operational performance and decision-making errors, thereby posing potential threats to aviation safety. In order to reveal the relationship between the cockpit noise sound pressure level and pilot physiological indicators, and provide a scientific basis for cockpit noise airworthiness standards, this experiment takes pilot trainees as the research subject. Based on the principle of multimodal data synchronization, a sound field reconstruction system is used to reconstruct the cockpit sound field. Electroencephalogram (EEG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and electrodermal activity (EDA) measurements are carried out in different sound pressure level noise operating environments. The results show that with the increase in the sound pressure level, the significant suppression of α-wave activity in the occipital and parietal regions suggests that the cortical resting state is lifted and visual attention is enhanced; the enhancement of the β-wave in the frontal regions reflects the enhancement of alertness and prefrontal executive control, and the suppression of θ-wave activity in the frontal and temporal regions may indicate that cognitive tuning is suppressed, which reflects the brain’s rapid adaptive response to external noise stimuli in a high-noise environment; noise exposure triggers sustained sympathetic nerve hyperactivity, which is manifested by a significant acceleration of the heart rate and a significant increase in the mean value of skin conductance when the noise sound pressure level exceeds 70 dB(A). The correlation analysis between physiological indicators shows that cockpit noise has a multi-system synergistic effect on human physiological indicators. The experimental results indicate that noise has a significant impact on EEG, ECG, and EDA indicators.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/13/4175aviation safetycockpitcockpit noisesound pressure levelphysiological indicators
spellingShingle Haiming Shen
Meiqing Hao
Jiawei Ren
Kun Chen
Yang Gao
Experimental Study on the Effects of Cockpit Noise on Physiological Indicators of Pilots
Sensors
aviation safety
cockpit
cockpit noise
sound pressure level
physiological indicators
title Experimental Study on the Effects of Cockpit Noise on Physiological Indicators of Pilots
title_full Experimental Study on the Effects of Cockpit Noise on Physiological Indicators of Pilots
title_fullStr Experimental Study on the Effects of Cockpit Noise on Physiological Indicators of Pilots
title_full_unstemmed Experimental Study on the Effects of Cockpit Noise on Physiological Indicators of Pilots
title_short Experimental Study on the Effects of Cockpit Noise on Physiological Indicators of Pilots
title_sort experimental study on the effects of cockpit noise on physiological indicators of pilots
topic aviation safety
cockpit
cockpit noise
sound pressure level
physiological indicators
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/13/4175
work_keys_str_mv AT haimingshen experimentalstudyontheeffectsofcockpitnoiseonphysiologicalindicatorsofpilots
AT meiqinghao experimentalstudyontheeffectsofcockpitnoiseonphysiologicalindicatorsofpilots
AT jiaweiren experimentalstudyontheeffectsofcockpitnoiseonphysiologicalindicatorsofpilots
AT kunchen experimentalstudyontheeffectsofcockpitnoiseonphysiologicalindicatorsofpilots
AT yanggao experimentalstudyontheeffectsofcockpitnoiseonphysiologicalindicatorsofpilots