ORAC
22nd Jan 2003, 14:58
Twchnology Review:
.....At the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition at the University of West Florida, a newly developed wearable interface lest pilots use their sense of touch to complement audiovisual navigation cues. The tactile displays "reduce the pilot's workload to free up more grey matter for other tasks", says principal investigator Anil Raj.
In collaboration with the the U.S. Navy, Raj has developed networks of small vibrators that may be strapped to a pilot's torso, connecting to navigation sensors and signal processing software, and activated by streams of pressurised air. If an aircraft is turning left, say, it's pilot feels a buzz on his or her left side. The system can also warn pilots about deviations from course or approaching threats; intense buzzing againsty the pilot's back could signify an enemy plane behind the aircraft.
Raj's prototypes have proved effective in flight tests, says Angus Rupert, director of Spatial Orientation Systems at the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory. The Navy will use the technology in helicopter missions by Special Operations troops as early as this spring, he adds. For pilots, the bottom line is heightened spatial awareness and fewer accidents - even as if they as if they are flying by the seat of their pants.
.....At the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition at the University of West Florida, a newly developed wearable interface lest pilots use their sense of touch to complement audiovisual navigation cues. The tactile displays "reduce the pilot's workload to free up more grey matter for other tasks", says principal investigator Anil Raj.
In collaboration with the the U.S. Navy, Raj has developed networks of small vibrators that may be strapped to a pilot's torso, connecting to navigation sensors and signal processing software, and activated by streams of pressurised air. If an aircraft is turning left, say, it's pilot feels a buzz on his or her left side. The system can also warn pilots about deviations from course or approaching threats; intense buzzing againsty the pilot's back could signify an enemy plane behind the aircraft.
Raj's prototypes have proved effective in flight tests, says Angus Rupert, director of Spatial Orientation Systems at the Naval Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory. The Navy will use the technology in helicopter missions by Special Operations troops as early as this spring, he adds. For pilots, the bottom line is heightened spatial awareness and fewer accidents - even as if they as if they are flying by the seat of their pants.