Using Motion-Base Simulation to Guide Future Force Systems Design

Abstract

Abstract : The U.S. Army Tank and Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC), in collaboration with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Human Research and Engineering Directorate, is using TARDEC's Ride Motion Simulator (RMS) to address design requirements for future force systems. Future force systems are envisioned to be lightweight, highly-mobile vehicles that will utilize complex information systems to ensure, for example, both Soldier survivability and system lethality. One of the major challenges and program risks identified by Future Combat Systems is that, in these future systems, Soldiers will need to be able to maintain their high levels of performance even when their vehicles are moving over terrain. This challenge involves a host of problems including, but not limited to: the presentation of critical information in an understandable way, the implementation of control devices that allow the successful completion of mission Operations, and the reduction of potential disorientation and motion sickness, all of which will be adversely affected when Soldiers are bounced around in moving vehicles. Making decisions on how to deal with motion effects issues is all the more difficult because potentially crucial design choices must be made for vehicles whose ride characteristics are still unknown. Through the combined efforts of researchers at TARDEC and ARL, a systematic approach using motion-base simulation is being implemented to address some of these challenges.