BIOCONAID System (Bionic Control of Acceleration Induced Dimming)

The BIOCONAID System represents the development of a new technique for enhancing the fidelity of flight simulators during high acceleration maneuvers. This technique forces the simulator pilot into active participation and energy expenditure similar to the aircraft pilot undergoing actual accelerations. The system consists of an electromyographic (EMG) subsystem and the software implementation of four physiological models: Cardiovascular Model; G-Suit Model; Straining Model, and Visual Field Model. The EMG subsystem is required for signal processing of muscular straining signals used in the Straining Model. The EMG subsystem and all software except the Visual Field Model have been carefully checked-out to yield results consistent with experimental data and known physiology. Consequently, the BIOCONAID System has the potential of providing a very realistic simulation of visual dimming with straining during high accelerations. It is recommended that the system be implemented and evaluated in an Air Force simulator with experienced pilots. (Author)