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A technique for computer-aided assessment of flight simulator fidelity is presented. The assessment procedure utilizes a mathematical model of the human pilot that includes proprioceptive, visual, and vestibular cues. The quality of the latter two cues can be varied to capture the effects of flight simulator limitations associated with visual and motion cueing. A MATLAB[R]-based tool that automates the selection of the majority of parameters in the pilot model and the generation of a fidelity metric is described. In addition, a prediction of the task-dependent handling qualities of the nominal flight vehicle can be obtained. The assessment procedure is exercised in a hypothetical example involving the six-degree-of-freedom control of a rotorcraft completing a vertical remask maneuver. It is demonstrated that by varying the quality of the visual and vestibular cues in the pilot/vehicle model the effects of simulator limitations upon fidelity can be systematically addressed.

A technique for analysing flight simulator fidelity, based on a computer simulation of pilot and vehicle, is described.

A model-based technique addressing the effect of display or visual scene quality upon human pilot dynamics is introduced. The technique builds upon a methodology proposed for the preliminary assessment of flight simulator fidelity which uses a structural model of the human pilot. This model is incorporated in what is termed the primary control loop(s) for the task at hand. It is shown that the measured effects of degradations in display quality upon human pilot dynamics can be modeled by simple reductions in the gains associated with error and proprioceptive signals in the structural model. A control theoretic rationale for these gain reductions is presented. The effect of display quality upon perceived handling qualities is discussed and demonstrated in a simple example. Although the research had its genesis in flight simulator fidelity studies, the modeling procedure is applicable to any continuous control task involving degraded visual conditions.

A control theoretic model of driver steering control behavior is presented. The resulting model is shown capable of producing driver/vehicle steering responses which compare favorably with those obtained from driver simulation. The model is simple enough to be used by engineers who may not be manual control specialists. The model contains both preview and compensatory steering dynamics. An analytical technique for vehicle handling qualities assessment is briefly discussed. Driver/vehicle responses from two driving tasks evaluated in a driver simulator are used to evaluate the overall validity of the driver/vehicle model. Finally, the model is exercised in predictive fashion in the computer simulation of a lane keeping task on a curving roadway where the simulated vehicle possessed one of three different steering systems: a conventional two-wheel steering system and a pair of four-wheel steering systems.

The Unified Radio and Plasma Wave (URAP) experiment has produced new observations of the Jupiter environment, owing to the unique capabilities of the instrument and the traversal of high Jovial latitudes. Broad-band continuum radio emission from Jupiter and in situ plasma waves have proved valuable in delineating the magnetospheric boundaries. Simultaneous measurements of electric and magnetic wave fields have yielded new evidence of whistler-mode radiation within the magnetosphere. Observations of auroral-like hiss provided evidence of a Jovian cusp. The source direction and polarization capabilities of URAP have demonstrated that the outer region of the Io plasma torus supported at least five separate radio sources that reoccurred during successive rotations with a measurable corotation lag. Thermal noise measurements of the Io torus densities yielded values in the densest portion that are similar to models suggested on the basis of Voyager observations of 13 years ago. The URAP measurements also suggest complex beaming and polarization characteristics of Jovian radio components. In addition, a new class of kilometer-wavelenght striated Jovian bursts has been observed., The unique configuration, wide frequency range, and high sensitivity of the URAP instrument [1] have allowed many new observations to be made of both in situ and remote phenomena during [...]

A new study models a pilot's perceptual and response behaviour when using proprioceptive, visual and vestibular cues in a ground-based flight simulator.