Originally published at: Could Automotive Lane-Deviation Tech Help Combat Pilot Disorientation? - AVweb
Haptic vibration could be an aid in preventing loss of control accidents.
Explored all of this technology many years ago for Army rotary wing aviators. Requirement surfaced back when aircrews were browning out in the desert during landing and crashing. Also an occasional inadvertent flight into IMC that would end badly. Feedback from the test subjects on the haptics was mixed, cost to benefit ratio too high. What they really wanted was a virtual horizon and moving map depiction of the terrain and horizon delivered via Helmet-Mounted Display, so we did that. Overwhelmingly positive feedback, and although not cheap, cost to acquire and install was not unreasonable. Biggest technical challenge was the terrain and obstacle symbology delivered to the eye was generated from a static database (e.g. no real time imaging sensors). So how to depict a tower or that single power line someone draped across the creek since the last database update, but that wouldnāt be an issue for your typical fixed wing GA pilot. Biggest sustainment cost driver was subscribing to the map updates and keeping up with physically loading the updates into the symbol generator in the aircraft. Between those challenges and the belief that training could solve the problem the system never went to production.
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I appreciate you adding the detail. When I read this I remembered this was tested by the military years ago.
Autopilot technology is far more likely to be the answer to fixing this problem than haptics. Autonomy has pushed autopilot capability to having Autoland functionality in several GA aircraft. Even my low-end RV-12 has a LEVEL button on the autopilot that will keep the aircraft upright if I lose SA. Soon enough we will have autopilotās with full envelope protection with control servos that push back on the stick/yoke if you try to do something stupid that will crash the aircraft.
What ever happened to the duck and the dog?
Thankyou for that background.
I expect cost would be lower today, and imaging sensors are available.
Inadvertent flight into IMC is a problem for GA pilots, āscud runningā is an old term for trying to stay under clouds flying lower than is safe. And accident flying Calgary AB to Salmon Arm BC comes to mind, IIRC pilot familiar with the route.
(BC is full of high rocks, a COPA convention in Red Deer AB featured mountain flying seminars and a demonstration loop into foothills.)
The posts about the new āLevelā button on the autopilot is a much more cost effective way to implement SA protection. However, pilots have to USE it. All Cirrus aircraft are equipped with a whole aircraft parachute, yet many Cirrus aircraft crash, killing the occupants, because the pilot did not want to pull the chute.
Putting the haptics in the seat or a suit would be cost prohibitive for most/all GA aircraft. Putting it in the control yoke would be better, but again, pilots have to use and respond to the input. Modern avionics have fantastic displays right in front of the pilot. Again, the pilot must be competent in using and interpreting these displays. Currency does not equal competency. IFR currency is 6 approaches, hold, tracking a course in 6 months; that does not equate competency.
Haptics may sound good, but even stick shakers have proven ineffective ( think Colgan). More emphasis on SA in flight reviews, IPCās, and the like would go much further.
Actually that already exists in the Garmin GFC 500 autopilot, and probably others with envelop protection as well. If you get to the edge of the envelop the machine does push you back.
Both Honeywell and Garmin provide Envelope Protection which vibrate/shake the control column when going past 60 deg angle of bank.
Haptic may be ok, but all a vibration REALLY does is āsomethings wrongā, leaving it up to the wetware to figure out why itās getting a vibration.
Late model autos do this ad-nauseum. With all the tech available, auto makers cannot seem to figure out how to communicate IN WRITING what the problem is. Just āsomethings wrong puny humanā.
I hope the aviation world can figure out how to provide useful data to the wetware
Thereās the fix.
Wakes you up anyway, in some situations thatās what is needed.
Yes, car makers are 2yos, confusing chimes and door locks in 2009 Chevrolet HHR for example.
(Give a 2 year old child a hammer and everything becomes a nail, they understand action but not purpose and focus.)
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