Whereas the Osprey can land on an plane service within the conventional vogue through approaching the flightdeck and touchdown, its tilt-rotor functionality permits it to additionally take off and land vertically on carriers and different ship courses, as would a helicopter.
However in training vertical take-off and touchdown (VTOL) procedures for the CMV-22 in a simulator state of affairs, there was one foremost drawback: Osprey pilots are used to trying down from the cockpit and seeing the deck of the ship or the touchdown zone. When in a conventional simulator, the place the setting is projected on a big display screen in entrance of and surrounding the cockpit, if the pilot seems down, all they see is the simulator ground.
As well as, the present movement platform and projection simulator at Manned Flight doesn’t fairly have the texture and vary of movement to precisely depict real-time, on-station dynamics typical of the CMV-22. To improve the platform to the required specs, the engineers at Manned Flight engaged on the Dynamic Built-in Digital Setting (DIVE) Program started consulting and troubleshooting, and located that the price of upgrading the already getting old platform could be upwards of $3 million and take a substantial period of time to assemble.
Up thus far, the DIVE program was sponsoring the mixing of digital actuality (VR) and blended actuality (MR) applied sciences with plane flight simulators at Manned Flight Simulator; significantly helicopters and different rotaries. When the movement platform improve price estimate was finalized, Dr. Umberto Saetti, at the moment at Auburn College in Alabama, coincidentally proposed a analysis challenge to make use of motion-based digital actuality (VR) simulators for aerospace analysis particularly for VTOL shipboard touchdown operations.
Robert Calvillo and Donald Gaublomme, aerospace engineers at NAWCAD, consulted with Saetti and realized they may develop their very own VR and blended actuality (MR) movement platform and software program for the CMV-22 for a fraction of the present movement platform improve price—roughly $500,000—after which tailor it for use with different plane as demand arises.
“There are lots of advantages to transferring towards this digital show,” stated Matt Mueller, the Division Head at Manned Flight Simulator. “The most important profit being that when you might have a facility the place you are attempting to place increasingly more simulators in, the benefit of having the ability to make your footprint smaller is large. At this facility, we will match 9 simulators in right here. However, if we have been in a position to pull out the show techniques with projectors and put one thing just like the [VR/MR platform] in, we will have a number of extra motion-capable simulators. They’re cheaper to take care of, have a smaller footprint and provide us extra functionality.”
The brand new VR/MR movement platform sits within the middle of what was as soon as a cubicle workplace space at Manned Flight, an area that was repurposed greater than 18 months in the past as soon as the COVID-19 pandemic hit and lots of employees have been compelled into telework capability. The platform sits on the ground, with hydraulic pistons extending upward and attaching under the cockpit seat. An array of laptop servers and gear are tucked away in towers to the facet of the room, powering the software program and platform itself. To get into the pilot seat, one should climb a brief ladder and be limber sufficient to maneuver into the seated place. As soon as located, the pilot can don the VR headset, put their fingers on the throttle and flight stick and toggle the foot pedals. After a quick calibration, the pilot can go searching and see the insides of the cockpit, in addition to the deck view of an plane service deployed at sea. Pilots can then apply take off and touchdown on the service, whereas others can observe what the pilot sees on a pc monitor only some ft away.
The set up of the latest platform started in earnest about 18 months in the past, however the push to maneuver towards VR functionality started even earlier.
“About 4 years in the past after we have been on the tail finish of our first digital actuality challenge, our crew chiefs stated they actually loved the VR facet and that’s after we actually began engaged on the blended actuality idea,” Calvillo stated. “We had pilots are available and placed on the VR headset they usually have been basically in a position to see outdoors the windshield of the actual cockpit and see the digital setting, however once they look contained in the cockpit, they see the actual world, their actual fingers and instrument panels. Everybody began to see that digital actuality and blended actuality had some actually good potential, so we would have liked to broaden on it additional.”
Calvillo stated that’s when the crew realized that refurbishing the outdated movement platform wouldn’t accomplish the wants of the VR/MR setting and options have been explored.
Whereas the CMV-22 cockpit movement platform is the one one at the moment getting used, it has the aptitude to be modified to swimsuit different platforms together with the MH-60 Seahawk and the F/A-18. Calvillo stated the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Workplace has expressed curiosity in creating a VR/MR coach with an present spare cockpit in storage at Manned Flight. As well as, Calvillo stated there has additionally been curiosity in making a VR coaching area for touchdown sign officers (LSO) to make use of and carry out their deck duties as if on a deployed ship in first-person digital actuality.
Jim Pritchard, a former Marine aviator who has expertise flying CH-53E Tremendous Stallion and different single foremost rotor/tail rotor helicopters, stated all of his familiarity with the V-22 has been by means of digital simulators at Manned Flight.
“I’ve been concerned with digital simulation and dealing with qualities research for the previous 15 years on all kind/mannequin/collection [T/M/S] rotorcraft hosted by Manned Flight Simulator,” he stated.
Pritchard, the Flight Dynamics Rotary Wing Crew Lead within the Aeromechanics Division with NAWCAD, first examined out the VR/MR platform in January and offered his suggestions to the crew, stating that the visible scene and ship fashions have been rendered very precisely and plausible.
“We generated a listing of things crucial for additional growth,” Pritchard stated. “Nevertheless, the general evaluation may be very optimistic. This new expertise has the potential to revolutionize modeling and simulation within the shipboard setting.”
In evaluating the present and ceaselessly used movement platform simulators with immersive projector screens versus the newer VR/MR movement platform, Calvillo stated there nonetheless is loads of room for enchancment with the brand new VR/MR gear. For instance, he stated he’s at the moment working with a Small Enterprise Progressive Analysis effort to develop the next decision headset that will even be extra ergonomic and trigger much less eye pressure, which generally is a byproduct of staring into the VR headset for an prolonged time frame.
“One of many limitations is head monitoring and jitter replace within the system, a key space that the business typically—not simply us— is making an attempt to deal with,” Mueller stated. “If you happen to maintain your head comparatively stationary, and you aren’t transferring your head loads, the visuals look fairly good. However for those who have been in a state of affairs the place you’re transferring round, reaching for knobs and your complete physique is shifting alongside together with your eyes, it may be more durable for the visuals to remain in sync. So, you’ll discover a little bit of a jitter, which takes you out of the simulation.”
Calvillo additionally stated latency within the software program and the platform and management response are continually being addressed.
“From follow endpoint, the aim within the simulation is to get the response to beneath 100 milliseconds,” Mueller stated. “If you happen to can keep beneath that, the human mind has a tough time perceiving the delay. If you happen to go over 100 milliseconds, then you may get movement illness and over time because the mind will discover there’s a delay in while you informed one thing to occur and when it’s really occurring.”
The software program at the moment makes use of the Unity 3D Sport Engine, which can also be used within the gaming business. Calvillo stated they’ve one other crew that’s working to develop software program utilizing the Unreal Engine, one other broadly well-liked 3D sport engine used all through the gaming business to render video games for gaming consoles similar to PlayStation, PC and Xbox.
“We’re hoping the Unreal Engine can deal with loads of the constraints of Unity and in addition deal with loads of the constraints of our present picture generator software program capabilities for our conventional show techniques,” Calvillo stated.
Calvillo stated pilots who’ve tried the VR/MR headset have described a number of the limitations of the headset, together with not having as broad a sight view as they might see in the actual world.
“We’re hoping with the newer headsets, once they come on-line, pilots will have the ability to fly like they might in the actual plane versus flying to the constraints of the headset,” he stated.
Pritchard stated the distinction between the usual simulators and the VR/MR platform is “important.”
“To begin with is its adaptability,” Pritchard stated of the VR/MR platform. “Just a few {hardware} parts should be modified to accommodate the wide selection of T/M/S air automobiles in Naval Aviation—the remainder of the adjustments come within the type of software program. Second is its elevated constancy. The usual cab simulator is proscribed in visible rendering; Within the shipboard setting the air crew makes use of visible data very near nadir in addition to behind the beam; the MR headset is eminently able to rendering that data to the air crew. And third is it flexibility. MR permits the engineers to show data in the very best method, both artificially or nearly or each.”
Whereas nonetheless engaged on enhancing the latest VR/MR movement platform simulator, Calvillo stated the NAWCAD crew is working to make use of VR in a Joint Simulation Setting—a scalable, expandable, excessive constancy, government-owned, non-proprietary modeling and simulation setting to conduct testing on fifth-plus technology plane and techniques accreditable for check as a complement to open-air testing. Calvillo stated his crew has been contacted to seek the advice of on VR/MR simulators for the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, as properly techniques for the Army, Air Pressure, Naval Sea Programs Command (NAVSEA) and even NASA.
Mueller stated the Joint Simulation Setting goals to arrange total services comprised of solely blended actuality headsets: “no projectors or show techniques as we see immediately.”
“There are issues to unravel, which is why we maintain tackling them,” Mueller stated. “One of many massive targets that we’re taking pictures towards is to have the ability to have a facility of 30-plus simulators all flying in shut proximity to one another.
“The benefits and the flexibility you get with the VR headsets and the advances which might be being made, I anticipate they’ll develop into the extra accepted answer transferring ahead.”
Pritchard stated he sees the simulators as a cost-saving measure as properly.
“Right here at Naval Air Programs Command, certainly one of our major information merchandise comes by means of flight check, which is useful resource intensive, each in price and schedule. This movement platform with MR headset has the potential to reinforce, and in some circumstances even exchange flight check, thereby realizing a big price financial savings in essential facet of knowledge assortment,” he stated. “Relating to the bigger scale naval fleet expertise utility, this distinctive simulator has the potential to offer excessive constancy simulation for coaching, certification and forex, which might be a serious breakthrough for Naval Aviation simulation.”
Rob Perry is a author/editor with Naval Aviation News.
The Naval Air Warfare Middle Plane Division’s Manned Flight Simulator facility gives excessive constancy, hardware-in-the-loop flight simulation capabilities and experience supporting Analysis, Growth, Check and Analysis (RDT&E) of Navy and Marine Corps aviation platforms.
In 1985, a number of engineers and scientists launched the concept of testing plane in a laboratory simulated setting earlier than testing in flight, starting with the F/A-18 Hornet mission laptop. The aim was to avoid wasting price, schedule, and cut back threat. For 37 years supporting NAVAIR, MFS has been a middle of excellence for plane simulation. Beginning off with solely two simulation cockpits, MFS is now residence to 9 high-fidelity cockpits and 10 simulation stations, together with two six-degree-of-freedom movement base stations offering acceleration and deceleration cues to check pilots.
Right this moment, MFS makes use of simulators for flying qualities and efficiency evaluations, avionics integration testing, flight check mission rehearsal, accident investigations, prototype evaluations, put in techniques testing, and prototype simulator design. These simulation capabilities are a helpful complement to flight testing and supply quality-engineering outcomes early within the acquisition lifecycle that reduces price and schedule. Because the Navy strikes towards fielding extra difficult plane weapons techniques that use superior networking and multi-ship concentrating on applied sciences, the aptitude to check them turns into way more troublesome, if not unattainable, with conventional check strategies. MFS is on the forefront of creating these new capabilities and continues to be an important half within the development of Naval Aviation. 
