ConceptDesk

The mental strain of air traffic controllers coordinating directions, altitudes and speed of aircraft to ensure air safety is enormous. The multitude of different technical display and interaction systems requires a high level of scattered attention, which makes it challenging to focus on the primary responsibility of air traffic control. Therefore, the ConceptDesk was developed as an integrated system of hardware and software, combining different technical systems into a homogeneous workplace concept. The hardware consists of two large-panel displays, rendering the complex contents in an intuitive and easy-to-understand way. The horizontal display is multi-touch enabled, while the vertical display is used as a visualisation unit for further relevant data. The entire system is operated via touch input and a hardware keyboard for numerical input. Developed in cooperation with DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH – responsible for air traffic control in Germany – it integrates all content that was previously presented on separate human-machine interfaces into a homogeneous visualisation with a consistent interaction methodology.