Research Recommendations from the Airplane Simulation Transfer Literature

This descriptive review aims to identify research gaps in the airplane, simulation transfer of training literature. The research question is: What are the recommendations for future research from the simulation experiments using a true transfer or a quasi-transfer design to study the near or far transfer of airplane flying knowledge, skills, or abilities among adults? The method involves an exhaustive survey of English-language, peer-reviewed publications available online. The results include eight seminal reviews of the aviation literature published since 1973, 26 empirical studies published since 2004, and four general reviews to situate the aviation literature. The primary transfer studies encompass four themes: training proficiency, motion, abnormal events, and control tasks. This review addresses current research needs by presenting summaries and recommendations from the transfer literature, identifying gaps, and proposing an agenda for future research. It serves to inform researchers, practitioners, manufacturers, and regulators in the field of flight simulation training

Rotorcraft handling-qualities design criteria development

Joint NASA/Army efforts at the Ames Research Center to develop rotorcraft handling-qualities design criteria began in earnest in 1975. Notable results were the UH-1H VSTOLAND variable stability helicopter, the VFA-2 camera-and-terrain-board simulator visual system, and the generic helicopter real-time mathematical model, ARMCOP. An initial series of handling-qualities studies was conducted to assess the effects of rotor design parameters, interaxis coupling, and various levels of stability and control augmentation. The ability to conduct in-flight handling-qualities research was enhanced by the development of the NASA/Army CH-47 variable-stability helicopter. Research programs conducted using this vehicle include vertical-response investigations, hover augmentation systems, and the effects of control-force characteristics. The handling-qualities data base was judged to be sufficient to allow an update of the military helicopter handling-qualities specification, MIL-H-8501. These efforts, including not only the in-house experimental work but also contracted research and collaborative programs performed under the auspices of various international agreements. The report concludes by reviewing the topics that are currently most in need of work, and the plans for addressing these topics

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 335)

This bibliography lists 143 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during March, 1990. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and psychology, life support systems and controlled environments, safety equipment, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, and flight crew behavior and performance

Motion cueing in driving simulators for research applications

This research investigated the perception of self-motion in driving simulation, focussing on the dynamic cues produced by a motion platform. The study was undertaken in three stages, evaluating various motion cueing techniques based on both subjective ratings of realism and objective measures of driver performance. Using a Just Noticeable Difference methodology, Stage 1 determined the maximum perceptible motion scaling for platform movement in both translation and tilt. Motion cues scaled by 90% or more could not be perceptibly differentiated from unscaled motion. This result was used in Stage 2‟s examination of the most appropriate point in space at which the platform translations and rotations should be centred (Motion Reference Point, MRP). Participants undertook two tracking tasks requiring both longitudinal (braking) and lateral (steering) vehicle control. Whilst drivers appeared unable to perceive a change in MRP from head level to a point 1.1m lower, the higher position (closer to the vestibular organs) did result in marginally smoother braking, corresponding to the given requirements of the longitudinal driving task. Stage 3 explored the perceptual trade-off between the specific force error and tilt rate error generated by the platform. Three independent experimental factors were manipulated: motion scale-factor, platform tilt rate and additional platform displacement afforded by a XY-table. For the longitudinal task, slow tilt that remained sub-threshold was perceived as the most realistic, especially when supplemented by the extra surge of the XY-table. However, braking task performance was superior when a more rapid tilt was experienced. For the lateral task, perceived realism was enhanced when motion cues were scaled by 50%, particularly with added XY-sway. This preference was also supported by improvements in task accuracy. Participants ratings were unmoved by changing tilt rate, although rapid tilt did result in more precise lane control. Several interactions were also observed, most notably between platform tilt rate and XY-table availability. When the XY-table was operational, driving task performance varied little between sub-threshold and more rapid tilt. However, while the XY-table was inactive, both driving tasks were better achieved in conditions of high tilt rate. An interpretation of these results suggests that without the benefit of significant extra translational capability, priority should be given to the minimisation of specific force error through motion cues presented at a perceptibly high tilt rate. However, XY-table availability affords the simulator engineer the luxury of attaining a slower tilt that provides both accurate driving task performance and accomplishes maximum perceived realism

Functional requirements for the man-vehicle systems research facility

The NASA Ames Research Center proposed a man-vehicle systems research facility to support flight simulation studies which are needed for identifying and correcting the sources of human error associated with current and future air carrier operations. The organization of research facility is reviewed and functional requirements and related priorities for the facility are recommended based on a review of potentially critical operational scenarios. Requirements are included for the experimenter's simulation control and data acquisition functions, as well as for the visual field, motion, sound, computation, crew station, and intercommunications subsystems. The related issues of functional fidelity and level of simulation are addressed, and specific criteria for quantitative assessment of various aspects of fidelity are offered. Recommendations for facility integration, checkout, and staffing are included

Visually Guided Control of Movement

The papers given at an intensive, three-week workshop on visually guided control of movement are presented. The participants were researchers from academia, industry, and government, with backgrounds in visual perception, control theory, and rotorcraft operations. The papers included invited lectures and preliminary reports of research initiated during the workshop. Three major topics are addressed: extraction of environmental structure from motion; perception and control of self motion; and spatial orientation. Each topic is considered from both theoretical and applied perspectives. Implications for control and display are suggested

Self-evaluation vs. objective performance measures: evaluation of fidelity, presence and training transfer in two helicopter simulator tasks

Simulations are widely used in aviation, medical and military training. Simulation fidelity is an important element of simulation training development. This study explores the reliability of self-evaluation of fidelity and training transfer in comparison to objective performance measures in two experiments. In Experiment 1, fifteen participants (aged 20-32, mean= 23.1) completed a target-tracking task in the HELIFLIGHT simulator at the University of Liverpool. They then underwent training on a desktop-based helicopter simulator with basic visuals and a realistic turbine rotor noise as their only motion cues before being re-tested in HELIFLIGHT. Motion cue fidelity was manipulated to explore effects on subjective post-training ratings of fidelity and self-performance. In Experiment 2, eleven participants (aged 22-27, mean= 24.2) performed a hover task in HELIFLIGHT. As in Experiment 1, they then trained on a desktop-simulator before being retested in HELIFLIGHT. Again, cue fidelity was manipulated to explore effects on ratings of fidelity and self-performance, but also on sensation of presence. In both experiments, subjective post-trial ratings were compared with continuously-sampled objective measures. Both experiments showed that participants benefited from transferrable training from desktop simulator to full flight simulator. However, participants could not always reliably evaluate their own performance (Experiment 1). Additionally, participants could not always reliably judge cue fidelity (Experiment 1), and fidelity judgements did not always correspond with objective performance measures (Experiments 1 and 2). Self-evaluation of training also did not reflect objective measures of performance (Experiments 1 and 2), but participants did report greater subjective presence with multisensory motion cues compared to without. These findings contribute to the exploration of suitable metrics for fidelity, presence and performance evaluation

Operator/equipment Performance Measures: Results Of Literature Search

Literature review focuses on topics concerning perception, acceptable transmission delay, fidelity, and visual systems, including resolution, field of view, and target-background contrast

Twentieth Annual Conference on Manual Control, Volume 1

The 48 papers presented were devoted to humanopeator modeling, application of models to simulation and operational environments, aircraft handling qualities, teleopertors, fault diagnosis, and biodynamics

Augmenting low-fidelity flight simulation training devices via amplified head rotations

Due to economic and operational constraints, there is an increasing demand from aviation operators and training manufacturers to extract maximum training usage from the lower fidelity suite of flight simulators. It is possible to augment low-fidelity flight simulators to achieve equivalent performance compared to high-fidelity setups but at reduced cost and greater mobility. In particular for visual manoeuvres, the virtual reality technique of head-tracking amplification for virtual view control enables full field-of-regard access even with limited field-of-view displays. This research quantified the effects of this technique on piloting performance, workload and simulator sickness by applying it to a fixed-base, low-fidelity, low-cost flight simulator. In two separate simulator trials, participants had to land a simulated aircraft from a visual traffic circuit pattern whilst scanning for airborne traffic. Initially, a single augmented display was compared to the common triple display setup in front of the pilot. Starting from the base leg, pilots exhibited tighter turns closer to the desired ground track and were more actively conducting visual scans using the augmented display. This was followed up by a second experiment to quantify the scalability of augmentation towards larger displays and field of views. Task complexity was increased by starting the traffic pattern from the downwind leg. Triple displays in front of the pilot yielded the best compromise delivering flight performance and traffic detection scores just below the triple projectors but without an increase in track deviations and the pilots were also less prone to simulator sickness symptoms. This research demonstrated that head augmentation yields clear benefits of quick user adaptation, low-cost, ease of systems integration, together with the capability to negate the impact of display sizes yet without incurring significant penalties in workload and incurring simulator sickness. The impact of this research is that it facilitates future flight training solutions using this augmentation technique to meet budgetary and mobility requirements. This enables deployment of simulators in large numbers to deliver expanded mission rehearsal previously unattainable within this class of low-fidelity simulators, and with no restrictions for transfer to other training media