FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-20/08

Title and Subtitle: Evaluation of a New Color Palette for ATC Displays

Report Date: September 2020

Authors: Gildea K, Willems B, Benincasa S, Jack DG, Post DL

Abstract: FAA HF-STD-010 (2017) provides a standard color palette for coding critical information on primary air traffic control (ATC) displays that accommodate air traffic controllers who have color vision deficiencies. We performed an initial evaluation to see whether applying the palette and other HF-STD-010 requirements to operational ATC displays would present difficulties, and we developed strategies for transitioning the colors used in operational ATC systems to comply with those requirements.

Our findings have led to a refinement of the HF-STD-010 standard Red that has been incorporated into HF-STD-010A (2020). We found no noteworthy difficulties in applying the standard to existing air traffic automation systems for en route (En Route Automation Modernization; ERAM) or terminal radar air traffic control (Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System; STARS) and no objections to the new palette from ERAM and STARS controllers. We demonstrated ways to code weather severity on ERAM and STARS using the palette's weather colors that the controllers deemed acceptable.

We recommend research to optimize color coding for STARS displays, a follow-on simulation study where controller participants can exercise the system using the new colors to further reduce the odds of encountering unforeseen implementation problems. We also recommend the development and refinement of display testing guidelines to ensure that new ATC displays reproduce the standard palette colors accurately.

Key Words: Air traffic control, color code, color set, color vision deficiency, palette, reasonable accommodation, sRGB, standard, visual display, weather severity

No. of Pages: 19