EFPS - Writing on the strip
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EFPS - Writing on the strip
A question from a simulation, training and software guy to the world of ATC...
If you have/are working at a unit that has made the transition in your tower from paper strips to EFPS, and have requested the ability to write freehand text on strip, have you found this tool useful?
Or as I would suspect, has the product you are using made the ability to write on an electronic strip redundant?
Any thoughts, comments or feedback on this would be welcomed.
If you have/are working at a unit that has made the transition in your tower from paper strips to EFPS, and have requested the ability to write freehand text on strip, have you found this tool useful?
Or as I would suspect, has the product you are using made the ability to write on an electronic strip redundant?
Any thoughts, comments or feedback on this would be welcomed.
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Gonzo
So can you confirm that you do have the ability to write freehand on an EFPS strip?
We will be the first unit to introduce EFPS in approach and are far from happy with the system on the radar side of things. However we do not have any ability to write freehand on any strips, they are all pop up boxes with a key pad, and whats more we are unaware of this possibility. The ability to write for instance a freecall VFR callsign could solve a lot of our problems.
So can you confirm that you do have the ability to write freehand on an EFPS strip?
We will be the first unit to introduce EFPS in approach and are far from happy with the system on the radar side of things. However we do not have any ability to write freehand on any strips, they are all pop up boxes with a key pad, and whats more we are unaware of this possibility. The ability to write for instance a freecall VFR callsign could solve a lot of our problems.
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Depends what you mean by 'freehand'.
There is a 'remarks' box on the FDE, on ours it appears to the right of the callsign/type/squawk box, on the upper half of the FDE.
You can enter whatever you like here, and it colours the box yellow. You enter text via the qwerty keyboard popup; we added quite a few shortcut buttons, such as '1 ENG', 'MEDICAL', 'PAN', 'LTMA' etc etc, so I guess you'll have similar.
I do not envy you guys having to cope with freecallers!!!!! We've managed to limit our 'freecallers' by making airlines 'book out' their towing movements with Apron who enter it into EFPS so we should have a strip waiting for us when the tug crew call.
There is a 'remarks' box on the FDE, on ours it appears to the right of the callsign/type/squawk box, on the upper half of the FDE.
You can enter whatever you like here, and it colours the box yellow. You enter text via the qwerty keyboard popup; we added quite a few shortcut buttons, such as '1 ENG', 'MEDICAL', 'PAN', 'LTMA' etc etc, so I guess you'll have similar.
I do not envy you guys having to cope with freecallers!!!!! We've managed to limit our 'freecallers' by making airlines 'book out' their towing movements with Apron who enter it into EFPS so we should have a strip waiting for us when the tug crew call.
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<<they are all pop up boxes with a key pad,>>
Doesn't this increase the controller workload if he/she has to key-in information? It's one reason why Computer-Assisted Approach Sequencing was rejected at Heathrow many moons ago. Too much time was spent using a keyboard to input info which in a wholly human environment the controller knew anyway!
Is EFPS yet another case of technology for the sake of it or does it really have significant advantages over the old-fashioned system?
Doesn't this increase the controller workload if he/she has to key-in information? It's one reason why Computer-Assisted Approach Sequencing was rejected at Heathrow many moons ago. Too much time was spent using a keyboard to input info which in a wholly human environment the controller knew anyway!
Is EFPS yet another case of technology for the sake of it or does it really have significant advantages over the old-fashioned system?
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I've heard rumours of approach based EFPS having proper "freehand" text entry, as in you write on the screen and the computer recognises it. However having seen various handing writing recognition programs in use, as well as using EFPS, I assume any implementation of this would be a disaster. 
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The Frequentis Smartstrip product allows you to make freehand markings on the strip using the device's stylus. Within NATS we intend to use that only for the controller's notes and don't currently expect to try and and convert those scribbles into meaningful input for the FDP system.
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Hi Hootin!
Is it technically possible to create a freehand text entry system? Absolutely.
Will it happen at a NATS unit in the near future? Definitely not.
We asked for something similar from the outset, and it went straight into the 'way too difficult' pile. Reasons included;
1. having a system that recognises many different handwriting styles (and the fact that handwriting styles change over time).
2. the copious data entry errors that occur would have been a nightmare (think about how **** your signature looks when you sign for those dodgy parcels on the delivery guy's hand-held device).
3. oh, and the small matter of cost!
All of our entries are pop-up based. It's not always ideal, but three years down the line since O-date, it's interesting to see the speed at which ATCOs manage the pop-up boxes.
See you soon for a pint of Summer Lightning! Lovely!
Is it technically possible to create a freehand text entry system? Absolutely.
Will it happen at a NATS unit in the near future? Definitely not.
We asked for something similar from the outset, and it went straight into the 'way too difficult' pile. Reasons included;
1. having a system that recognises many different handwriting styles (and the fact that handwriting styles change over time).
2. the copious data entry errors that occur would have been a nightmare (think about how **** your signature looks when you sign for those dodgy parcels on the delivery guy's hand-held device).
3. oh, and the small matter of cost!
All of our entries are pop-up based. It's not always ideal, but three years down the line since O-date, it's interesting to see the speed at which ATCOs manage the pop-up boxes.
See you soon for a pint of Summer Lightning! Lovely!
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With the current technology it would be impossible to produce a freehand recognition system where the likelihood of corruption on key fields is anywhere near the level needed for a safety case.
We have recently made the switch to EFPS.
It is a Frequentis system and the displays are Wacom tablets, and our version includes a writing tool, in the form of the above-mentioned stylus, a device about twice the bulk of a ballpoint pen.
It is very difficult to write neatly. If the strip is enlarged, and then the writing carefully applied, an acceptable result can be achieved. The distraction involved in performing these actions often makes it not worthwhile.
There is a four-colour option, and it is more akin to writing with a crayon than a pen. In addition, there is a parallax error, because the writing surface is a plexiglass-type screen maybe 3 mm above the actual strip. When the stylus has been recently calibrated, it is reasonably accurate - along the line of calibration (top left to bottom right: there are only 2 calibration points) provided ones head doesn't bob around too much. (And, of course, aerodrome controllers don't move around at all, do they?
)
Exacerbating this is the minor detail that the strips are considerably smaller than the paper ones, so there is a lot less room for writing, and the layouts for where stuff has to go is different. Accuracy is required with the stylus to open the correct item on the strip. Miss it, and you might end up having to close a dialogue box, and using the "undo" function to make the correction.
I believe quite a lot of the inherent problems with using this system rather than nice, simple, reliable, tactile low maintenance relatively inexpensive paper strips could be partially mitigated were the writing tool considerably better in function. (Precision, definition, no parallax.)
It also randomly stops writing on the odd occasion. For no discernible reason. Maybe out of memory for the particular operation? Moving the strip/re-enlarging it solves this problem. It is then just a simple procedure to glance at the strip board, then the radar, then maybe look out the window, and re-acquaint oneself with the traffic picture and ones prior train of thought so that the safe movement of lumps of aluminium might continue.
There are some things E-strips does reasonably well. Handwriting is not one of them, and we mainly use it for rather simple symbols, such as a line/arrow combination, or a H in a circle, that sort of thing.
It is easy to clone strips on the system, or create new strips. Usually faster than handwriting them. If it was not necessary to look out the window from time to time, it would enable one to perform almost as efficiently as the paper strips did.
Another aspect that most controllers seem to find frustratingly limiting is the serial way information is required to be actioned. A strip cannot be accessed while a dialogue box for any other operation is open. One process at a time, worked through to completion, then on to the next thing. Not so good in the dynamic and (in the past) somewhat free-flow multi-task, reactive environment that aerodrome control is.
Maybe I'm a bit set in my ways, but to me it's like a spoilt child: it takes much more than it gives. And that opinion appears not to be limited to just the older controllers.
But to answer your original question, without the writing tool, controllers would be far more limited in the way the system presents information, and I think it would actually be verging on "unacceptable risk" to use this system without one.
It is a Frequentis system and the displays are Wacom tablets, and our version includes a writing tool, in the form of the above-mentioned stylus, a device about twice the bulk of a ballpoint pen.
It is very difficult to write neatly. If the strip is enlarged, and then the writing carefully applied, an acceptable result can be achieved. The distraction involved in performing these actions often makes it not worthwhile.
There is a four-colour option, and it is more akin to writing with a crayon than a pen. In addition, there is a parallax error, because the writing surface is a plexiglass-type screen maybe 3 mm above the actual strip. When the stylus has been recently calibrated, it is reasonably accurate - along the line of calibration (top left to bottom right: there are only 2 calibration points) provided ones head doesn't bob around too much. (And, of course, aerodrome controllers don't move around at all, do they?
)Exacerbating this is the minor detail that the strips are considerably smaller than the paper ones, so there is a lot less room for writing, and the layouts for where stuff has to go is different. Accuracy is required with the stylus to open the correct item on the strip. Miss it, and you might end up having to close a dialogue box, and using the "undo" function to make the correction.
I believe quite a lot of the inherent problems with using this system rather than nice, simple, reliable, tactile low maintenance relatively inexpensive paper strips could be partially mitigated were the writing tool considerably better in function. (Precision, definition, no parallax.)
It also randomly stops writing on the odd occasion. For no discernible reason. Maybe out of memory for the particular operation? Moving the strip/re-enlarging it solves this problem. It is then just a simple procedure to glance at the strip board, then the radar, then maybe look out the window, and re-acquaint oneself with the traffic picture and ones prior train of thought so that the safe movement of lumps of aluminium might continue.
There are some things E-strips does reasonably well. Handwriting is not one of them, and we mainly use it for rather simple symbols, such as a line/arrow combination, or a H in a circle, that sort of thing.
It is easy to clone strips on the system, or create new strips. Usually faster than handwriting them. If it was not necessary to look out the window from time to time, it would enable one to perform almost as efficiently as the paper strips did.
Another aspect that most controllers seem to find frustratingly limiting is the serial way information is required to be actioned. A strip cannot be accessed while a dialogue box for any other operation is open. One process at a time, worked through to completion, then on to the next thing. Not so good in the dynamic and (in the past) somewhat free-flow multi-task, reactive environment that aerodrome control is.
Maybe I'm a bit set in my ways, but to me it's like a spoilt child: it takes much more than it gives. And that opinion appears not to be limited to just the older controllers.
But to answer your original question, without the writing tool, controllers would be far more limited in the way the system presents information, and I think it would actually be verging on "unacceptable risk" to use this system without one.
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I've heard rumours of approach based EFPS having proper "freehand" text entry, as in you write on the screen and the computer recognises it. However having seen various handing writing recognition programs in use, as well as using EFPS, I assume any implementation of this would be a disaster. 
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Captain S
Pints of Old Growler on me!
If the EFPS works at LHR we are sure we can handle it here. It is a proven system at a far busier unit.
Approach radar is another matter. Stupid things like a compass rose that pops up to input headings, but the rose does not contain all headings so you must +/- 5 or 10 degrees. It must have sounded a good idea to someone but we have found we should not be doing even basic arithmetic nor input incorrect headings to the ones verbally issued whilst busy vectoring, and instead a simple numeric keypad would be far simpler. It was decided at the Radar User Group between the Scottish Airports. Interesting due to our tight manpower issues our rep isn't even a Scottish Atco nor has ever been valid on radar.
We don't like all the layout on Approach as we have not had much input in its design but it is being insisted, like Common strip Display, that all airports have the same layout / way of operating. But we do not operate the same as PF and god knows how PD operate with all their Heli movements. Again it sounds good on paper but in reality.....
It is only now near the end of training, as people have got more experience with the system, that we can spot its faults and inadequacies and basically we are told in a lot of cases that it is too late or already decided.
Pints of Old Growler on me!
If the EFPS works at LHR we are sure we can handle it here. It is a proven system at a far busier unit.
Approach radar is another matter. Stupid things like a compass rose that pops up to input headings, but the rose does not contain all headings so you must +/- 5 or 10 degrees. It must have sounded a good idea to someone but we have found we should not be doing even basic arithmetic nor input incorrect headings to the ones verbally issued whilst busy vectoring, and instead a simple numeric keypad would be far simpler. It was decided at the Radar User Group between the Scottish Airports. Interesting due to our tight manpower issues our rep isn't even a Scottish Atco nor has ever been valid on radar.
We don't like all the layout on Approach as we have not had much input in its design but it is being insisted, like Common strip Display, that all airports have the same layout / way of operating. But we do not operate the same as PF and god knows how PD operate with all their Heli movements. Again it sounds good on paper but in reality.....
It is only now near the end of training, as people have got more experience with the system, that we can spot its faults and inadequacies and basically we are told in a lot of cases that it is too late or already decided.
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From our experience down here we've gradually broken away from 'every airport mustbe the same'. Each unit has to be able to tweak the adaptation to suit themselves.
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Imagine a world........ok, imagine an approach control unit without any strips whatsoever. What! Preposterous! Impossible! Yet many Canadian, US, and other approach units function perfectly well without strips. Strips date back from non digitized radar, when indeed they served a useful function.
It was brutal, when arriving in DXB, to have to go back to writing on paper strips. A complete waste of time and energy, according to all who have lived in strip-less nirvana!
It was brutal, when arriving in DXB, to have to go back to writing on paper strips. A complete waste of time and energy, according to all who have lived in strip-less nirvana!
More than just an ATCO
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Maastricht used mini-strips for a number of years before going stripless back in the 1980s.. A scribble pad for such info as headings is still used, however it is now possible to update Flight Plan info directly into the system.
FWIW a number of controllers from Maastricht who were involved in the development of the New ODS there spent several weeks at Swanwick whilst that was still iunder development. Our universal view was that the paperless strip system was outmoded, even then. Interestingly enough, nobody from Swanwick bothered to come play with our system. NIH at work?
FWIW a number of controllers from Maastricht who were involved in the development of the New ODS there spent several weeks at Swanwick whilst that was still iunder development. Our universal view was that the paperless strip system was outmoded, even then. Interestingly enough, nobody from Swanwick bothered to come play with our system. NIH at work?
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Hootin an a roarin
When are you going stripless? Another Approach/mini TMA unit down south was originally planned to be using EFS by the end of March but due to delays are now looking at mid May. Apparently there are a number of problems with the EFS and other systems. Most of the kit they use at the moment is actually more capable and in some cases more advanced than what they are getting.
Sim God
The EFS system from ParkAir does have the ability to freehand write but it doesn't stand out very well or get passed on to any other position.
When are you going stripless? Another Approach/mini TMA unit down south was originally planned to be using EFS by the end of March but due to delays are now looking at mid May. Apparently there are a number of problems with the EFS and other systems. Most of the kit they use at the moment is actually more capable and in some cases more advanced than what they are getting.
Sim God
The EFS system from ParkAir does have the ability to freehand write but it doesn't stand out very well or get passed on to any other position.
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OA32
We go stripless in 3 weeks if management get their way. There are plenty of controllers not ready to go live and very uncomfortable but I believe it will be pushed through whatever the potential risks.
We go stripless in 3 weeks if management get their way. There are plenty of controllers not ready to go live and very uncomfortable but I believe it will be pushed through whatever the potential risks.
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Thanks all
I do not want to mention which systems are specificly being looked at on this forum at this time, but we are also interested in data production to stimulate other systems like lighting, RIMCAS, AFDAS etc etc as well as to produce revenue generators and KPI monitoring for the airport as a whole. (this comment may spark a whole other can of worms)
You have all given me insight into my origional question though; it depends who you are and what your background and exposure to different systems is.
Its all valid stuff, thanks for the thoughts.
I do not want to mention which systems are specificly being looked at on this forum at this time, but we are also interested in data production to stimulate other systems like lighting, RIMCAS, AFDAS etc etc as well as to produce revenue generators and KPI monitoring for the airport as a whole. (this comment may spark a whole other can of worms)
You have all given me insight into my origional question though; it depends who you are and what your background and exposure to different systems is.
Its all valid stuff, thanks for the thoughts.