Glass Cockpit Research Articles

PRECISE ORTHO IMAGERY AS THE SOURCE FOR AUTHORITATIVE AIRPORT MAPPING

As the aviation industry moves from paper maps and charts to the digital cockpit and electronic flight bag, producers of these products need current and accurate data to ensure flight safety. FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) require certified suppliers to follow a defined protocol to produce authoritative map data for the aerodrome. Typical airport maps have been produced to meet 5 m accuracy requirements. The new digital aviation world is moving to 1 m accuracy maps to provide better situational awareness on the aerodrome. The commercial availability of 0.5 m satellite imagery combined with accurate ground control is enabling the production of avionics certified .85 m orthophotos of airports around the globe. CompassData maintains an archive of over 400+ airports as source data to support producers of 1 m certified Aerodrome Mapping Database (AMDB) critical to flight safety and automated situational awareness. CompassData is a DO200A certified supplier of authoritative orthoimagery and attendees will learn how to utilize current airport imagery to build digital aviation mapping products.

PRECISE ORTHO IMAGERY AS THE SOURCE FOR AUTHORITATIVE AIRPORT MAPPING

Abstract. As the aviation industry moves from paper maps and charts to the digital cockpit and electronic flight bag, producers of these products need current and accurate data to ensure flight safety. FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) require certified suppliers to follow a defined protocol to produce authoritative map data for the aerodrome. Typical airport maps have been produced to meet 5 m accuracy requirements. The new digital aviation world is moving to 1 m accuracy maps to provide better situational awareness on the aerodrome. The commercial availability of 0.5 m satellite imagery combined with accurate ground control is enabling the production of avionics certified .85 m orthophotos of airports around the globe. CompassData maintains an archive of over 400+ airports as source data to support producers of 1 m certified Aerodrome Mapping Database (AMDB) critical to flight safety and automated situational awareness. CompassData is a DO200A certified supplier of authoritative orthoimagery and attendees will learn how to utilize current airport imagery to build digital aviation mapping products.

Analysis of Displays Attributes for use in Avionics Head up Displays

avionics provide a comprehensive human-machine interaction. The modern electronic displays are the key components of any glass cockpit based aircraft employing the state of art avionics and are being increasingly used due to two main reasons: firstly, the continuous advancements and improvements in the electronic display technologies, and second being the progressive changes in the onboard data distributing and processing methods in both military and civil aircraft. In this article we have discussed several electronic display devices and relevant technologies for avionics display use especially with reference to the head-up displays. These display technologies have been analysed with reference to the avionics display requirements and vital parameters like size, resolution, brightness, flicker, shades of grey, contrast, color, power consumption, etc.

Analysis of Pilot Eye Behavior during Glass Cockpit Simulations

Equipment failure and poor visibility conditions are factors that private pilots do not typically encounter. However, pilots can inadvertently encounter those conditions. Glass cockpits have improved pilot safety. As the aircraft's industry grows, unexpected flight conditions will become more frequent safety hazards. There is limited information about these conditions to support governmental training guidelines for such situations. The objective of this study is to expand the knowledge on pilot's visual attention during unexpected conditions. This study analyzed the average eye fixations per second of flight time (fix/s) of 30 certified private pilots. Randomized treatments of visibility and of either equipment failure or no failure were encountered during glass cockpit simulations. All participants looked more to the outside view and GPS during all conditions. This study showed common characteristic of visual attention during failure and weather conditions. Participants eye behavior changes with the introduction of unexpected conditions. However, the limited training on what to do when facing unexpected situations of equipment failure and poor visibility, led participants to focus more on the outside view than on the instruments missing information about the aircraft status. This research could help designers and trainers identify the visual focus areas for private pilots during adverse conditions.

Analysis of Mission Task Loading Based on the External Disturbance

This research investigates the impact of changing weather conditions on the crew members who sit in a side-by-side cockpit, which is unusual for attack helicopters. Extensive review conducted by the authors fails to locate similar studies; hence a helicopter simulator is developed in order to conduct the experiments. The simulator represents the realistic flight characteristics as well as the digital cockpit instruments that contain the advanced mission equipment. During the experiments, a camcorder is used to record the pilots to accurately analyze the task completion time and the physical motions of both pilots. NASA-TLX is also used to collect the workload data to assess the impact of task assignments among the pilots. The analytical findings from this study will be instrumental in improving the cockpit design for enhanced mission effectiveness.

Can a glass cockpit display help (or hinder) performance of novices in simulated flight training?

The analog dials in traditional GA aircraft cockpits are being replaced by integrated electronic displays, commonly referred to as glass cockpits. Pilots may be trained on glass cockpit aircraft or encounter them after training on traditional displays. The effects of glass cockpit displays on initial performance and potential transfer effects between cockpit display configurations have yet to be adequately investigated. Flight-naïve participants were trained on either a simulated traditional display cockpit or a simulated glass display cockpit. Flight performance was measured in a test flight using either the same or different cockpit display. Loss of control events and accuracy in controlling altitude, airspeed and heading, workload, and situational awareness were assessed. Preferences for cockpit display configurations and opinions on ease of use were also measured. The results revealed consistently poorer performance on the test flight for participants using the glass cockpit compared to the traditional cockpit. In contrast the post-flight questionnaire data revealed a strong subjective preference for the glass cockpit over the traditional cockpit displays. There was only a weak effect of prior training. The specific glass cockpit display used in this study was subjectively appealing but yielded poorer flight performance in participants with no previous flight experience than a traditional display. Performance data can contradict opinion data. The design of glass cockpit displays may present some difficulties for pilots in the very early stages of training.

Methods of Instrument Training and Effects on Pilots’ Performance With Different Types of Flight Instrument Displays

As computer display technology has evolved, so have the aircraft instrument displays pilots use for aircraft control and navigation. With the aid of two different flight training devices – one configured with steam gauges and the other configured with glass cockpit – this study measured aircraft control and navigation differences between two pilot groups. Pilot Group 1 had earned their instrument rating in aircraft equipped with steam gauges, and Pilot Group 2 had earned their instrument rating in aircraft equipped with glass cockpits. Using displays for which they were not trained, each pilot was tested on aircraft control and navigation precision. The test required that pilots complete basic instrument maneuvers and an instrument landing system approach. Using MANOVA, deviations from assigned values were recorded and statistically compared. Study findings indicated that steam gauge pilots transitioning to glass cockpits perform better than glass cockpit pilots transitioning to steam gauge displays.

KUH 임무탑재시스템의 안전성설계 및 검증

안전성 요구수준이 서로 다른 비행필수 데이터(Flight Critical Data)와 임무필수 데이터(Mission Critical Data)의 시현을 처리하기 위해 별도의 독립된 계기를 사용하지 않고 Glass Cockpit 설계를 적용하여 데이터를 통합처리하였다. 본 논문에서는 독립적으로 설계 진행되어온 비행조종계통과 임무탑재시스템의 통합설계를 위해 설계변경을 최소화하면서 비행조종계통에서 요구되는 비행필수 데이터처리의 안전성 요구수준을 만족시키는 최적화 설계를 제안하였다. 비행필수 데이터의 시현을 처리하기 위해 KUH 임무탑재시스템의 핵심구성품인 임무컴퓨터(Mission Computer)의 하드웨어 및 소프트웨어 설계변경을 최소화하였다. 임무탑재시스템의 안전성 요구도(Safety Requirement)를 검증하기 위한 시험절차를 개발하여 임무탑재시스템 통합시험장비(SIL)를 이용한 시험 수행 결과 안전성 요구도가 만족됨을 확인하였다. Integrated data processing for display of flight critical data and mission critical data was conducted without additional display instruments using glass cockpit design. Based on a pre-designed flight critical system and a mission critical system, this paper shows an optimal design of subsystem integration. The design satisfies safety requirements of flight control systems(FCS) and requires minimized modification of pre-designed systems. By conducting integration test using System Integration laboratory(SIL), it is confirmed that the introduced design approach meets the safety requirements of the MEP system.

The Impact of Transition Training on Adapting to Technically Advanced Aircraft at Regional Airlines: Perceptions of Pilots in Training and Instructor Pilots

The purpose of this research study was to test a hypothesis regarding newly trained regional airline pilot and instructor pilot (IP) perceptions of how effectively pilots learn and use new technology found in technically advanced aircraft (TAA), given initial type of instrumentation training. The research questions focused on the type of initial instrumentation training to determine the differences among pilots trained using various types of instrumentation ranging from aircraft equipped with traditional analog instrumentation to aircraft equipped with glass cockpits. This investigative study failed to disprove the null hypothesis (H0): The type of instrumentation training (during initial training) has no significant effect on newly trained regional airline pilots’ perceived ability to adapt to advanced technology cockpits in more sophisticated and/or newer aircraft. Therefore, no evidence exists from this study to support the early introduction and training of TAA. While the results of this investigation were surprising, they are nonetheless instructive. Even though it would seem that there would be a relationship between exposure to and use of technically advanced instrumentation, apparently there was no perceived relationship for this group of newly trained airline transport pilots. However, the results of this investigative study raise many new questions and provide a number of ideas for future research projects.

General aviation aircraft avionics: Integration & system tests

The avionics of current-day aircraft is termed as modular integrated full glass cockpit. Unlike lots of dials and gauges, the pilot will interact with Multi-Function Displays (MYD). This means that the systems are coupled with multi-function displays, communication and navigation radios with control units, multi-mode interactive instruments for control and navigation, recording and fault management systems, airframes and health monitoring diagnostic capabilities. Pilot Vehicle Interface (PVI) is an important measure of good avionics and cockpit layout, which implies the optimization of man-machine interface, enhancement of the economy, and safety of flight operations. This presents the avionics architecture of a 14-seat Light Transport Aircraft (LTA) for general aviation, which has multi-role commuter capabilities. LTA is a twin turbo-prop, multi-role aircraft, with air taxi and commuter services as its primary roles. The avionics is built on the digital communication mode for both command and control with current requirements of TCAS, digital Autopilot, and AMLCD multi-purpose glass displays. The LTA Avionics suite is grouped into six major groups based on functionality: Display System, Communication System, Navigation System, Recording System, Radar System, and Engine instruments and other cockpit displays. This paper also covers details about the extensive tests carried out to prove the avionics design in terms of functionality, inter-operability, interference, and compatibility. Various practical integration and flight-test issues, methodologies, and details of the scenarios is presented herein.

A Systematic Tool for Deriving Crew Console Layouts

This paper describes the use of the Function Allocation Matrix Tool (FAMT) for designing spacecraft cockpit layouts. NASA's Constellation Program intends to return humans to the moon by 2020, followed by exploration to Mars and beyond. The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) will serve as primary vehicle for transporting the crew. Orion will be equipped with a modern ‘glass cockpit’ that will allow the operators to command and control all of the vehicle's systems via graphics-based displays not unlike those now common in modern flight decks. The design of Orion's displays and controls places an increased emphasis on human-computer interaction and usability. In particular, the use of the FAMT drove the process of allocating displays and controls to reach and visual zones within the CEV 604 configuration cockpit. The result was the baseline display and control configuration for the Orion spacecraft.

Design of a Cursor Control Device for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle

NASA has embarked on a new program to develop vehicles for returning humans to the Moon by 2020. The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) will replace the Space Shuttle and serve as the primary vehicle for transporting the crew. Orion will be equipped with a modern “glass cockpit” that will allow operators to command and control all of the vehicle's systems from one of two operator stations. The design of Orion's operator stations creates some unique human-machine interface issues due primarily to the vehicle design and the extreme conditions the crew must operate in. One of the unique challenges for Orion is the need for a novel cursor control device that allows the crew to interact with the vehicle while seated and restrained. This paper describes some of the human factors challenges of designing such a device as well as the process that was employed.

The Glass Cockpit

In modern air craft, the cockpit is often referred to as a glass cockpit because of the replacement of traditional banks of mechanical dials with computer monitors. Behind these modern displays is a variety of interconnected computers, sensors, and actuators that constitute the avionics system. Avionics systems are technological wonders that increase our safety while flying, improve the efficiency of aircraft, and assist the flight crew.

Towards international standardization of the anesthesia machine

THE practice of anesthesia and critical care has become increasingly dependent on medical technology. Almost every day we read articles in journals and newspapers and view on television some aspect of patient safety. It’s a trendy topic. Much is written on the fact that we must improve patient safety, but what is really being done about it? We have evolved from the old anesthesia machine which was a hodge-podge assembly of separate components, a Fluotec Mark II vaporizer, Ventimeter ventilator, Dial-a-Flo mixer, oxygen analyzer, low pressure alarm, one-channel electrocardiogram monitor, a manual mercury blood pressure cuff and stethoscope that was bolted together by a handyman in the basement of the hospital. We now have integrated anesthetic gas delivery and monitoring systems and in the future, the automated anesthesia glass cockpit. The term “standardization” when used in the context of making all equipment similar in design and function is really nowadays a misnomer. It’s just a small part of what medical equipment standards writers consider when writing a “standard”. What we are really trying to do is to write the minimum requirements for the “basic safety and essential performance” or in other words minimum engineering specifications for medical equipment in general; or for a particular device. Why the minimum, you may ask? Published standards must be sufficiently flexible to provide enough latitude to promote innovation. Standards that require the addition of numerous safety features increase the complexity of a device which may render the device unusable or more prone to failure. The law of diminishing returns takes over once again. An overview of standards development process has been published previously.1 There is no longer just one safety standard for the “anesthesia machine”, but a family of safety standards for almost every component of the “anesthesia system.”A In addition to the “particular” anesthesia system standard,B there are also additional standards covering radio frequency interference,C software, usabilityD and alarm systems.E Jeffrey Cooper in his classic article originally published in 1978 and reprinted in 2002 in the journal Quality and Safety in Health Care2 pointed out that only 14% of critical incidents in anesthesia were related to equipment failure, but 84% of preventable incidents were due to human error. Usability refers to the qualities of a device whereby it is easy to learn, easy to remember, and requires as few steps as possible to perform a task. Usability also implies that the system should have a low error rate and if errors are made, they should be easy to recognize and easy to fix. The device should be pleasant to use and should not frustrate or annoy the user. EDITORIAL 613

Cognitive mismatches in the cockpit: Will they ever be a thing of the past?

Changes in aviation over the last 30 years have dramatically affected the way that flight crews fly aircraft. The implementation and evolution of the glass cockpit, however, has happened in an almost ad hoc fashion, meaning that it does not always properly support the flight crew in carrying out their tasks. In such situations, the crew's mental model of what is happening does not always match the real state of affairs. In other words, there is a cognitive mismatch. An initial taxonomy of cognitive mismatches is defined, and the problem illustrated using an example from an aviation accident. Consideration is then given to how cognitive mismatches can be managed. A call is made for the development of an integrated cockpit architecture that takes better account of human capabilities and allows for new developments to be added to the cockpit in a more seamless manner.

What middleware for network centric operations?

The main intent of this paper is to address the issue of middleware in network centric operations. To this end, we characterize a set of Information Technology capabilities that such a middleware should implement. Afterwards, we will discuss the design and architectural aspects of these capabilities. This will lead us to an efficient and practical decision support system that we call a digital cockpit. The latter is essentially a multi-tier IT platform that provides a plethora of services such as: data and service integration, monitoring, analysis, and process optimization. Moreover, the platform uses advanced display mechanisms to render the information in a structured and navigational representation that offers the possibility to drill down into the details. A significant subgoal of the paper is to discuss the quality attributes of such an NCO middleware. Finally, we present the results of an implementation of the aforesaid platform architecture.

Learning to Fly Glass Cockpits Requires a New Cognitive Model

The advent of computer-based avionics in piston-powered and light jet aircraft is arguably the most significant change to occur in recent general aviation history. Lessons learned from the airlines' incorporation of glass cockpits suggest that pilots require new knowledge and skills to safely transition into these airplanes. This study used Pathfinder associative networks to evaluate the structural knowledge of flight instructors approved to provide instruction in Technically Advanced Aircraft (TAA). The goal was to determine if the structural knowledge obtained by pilots operating TAA represent information that is incorporated into existing cognitive models or if the knowledge and skills are distinct, requiring the creation of a new model. The results show that TAAs require pilots to learn distinct new skills and that their experience with traditional avionics plays a very small role in their successful transition into TAA aircraft.

So You Want to Fly Remotely Operated Vehicles in Civil Approach Air Space

A distributed simulation was conducted between the Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory (FDDRL) of NASA Ames Research Center and the Center for the Study of Advanced Aeronautic Technologies (CSAAT) at California State University, Long Beach to assess the feasibility of flying ROVs in busy terminal environments with commercial traffic. Pilots with glass cockpit experience were recruited to fly one or two ROVs in simulated airspace over water reservoirs near DFW airport, with the major goal of avoiding the approach traffic. Results showed that pilots had a difficult time patrolling the lake without losing separation from the approach traffic. However, their performance did improve with practice. The commercial pilots' performance in our study suggested that ROV operations in busy terminal airspace were feasible and that they would be comfortable operating in the airspace jointly with ROVs. Strategies for control of a single or multiple ROVs are discussed.

Comparison of Three Avionics Systems Based upon Information Availability, Priorities and Accessibility

This study evaluates three avionics systems typically found in small general aviation aircraft. The evaluation included a traditional “steam gauge” airplane, an “intermediate” airplane equipped with traditional mechanical instruments along with a GPS-based moving map display and a technically advanced airplane equipped with a computer-based glass cockpit. We evaluated the avionics using a methodology described by Schvanevelt, Berringer & Leard (2004) which evaluates the availability and accessibility of information based upon the priorities pilots place upon the various information sources. The results show that computer-based avionics provide more information; however most of the additional information is located deep within the avionics' menu structure.

Pilot Performance Controlling Multiple Rovs in Terminal Airspace and Strategies for Managing them

This paper is based on a demonstration of a distributed simulation conducted between the Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory (FDDRL) of NASA Ames Research Center and the Center for the Study of Advanced Aeronautic Technologies (CSAAT) at California State University, Long Beach. Simulated ROVs were flown in terminal airspace for the purpose of determining the feasibility of flying ROVs through commercial traffic. Pilots, with glass cockpit experience, were required to fly one or two ROVs in simulated airspace over water reservoirs near DFW airport, with the major goal of avoiding the approach traffic while patrolling Grapevine and nearby lakes. This paper will focus on pilot performance and strategies for controlling single versus multiple ROVs. Results showed that pilots had a difficult time patrolling the lake without losing separation from the approach traffic. However, their performance did improve after practice. Cooper-Harper workload ratings showed that pilots experienced higher workload when controlling two ROVs compared to one, especially in high traffic, which matches the performance data. Strategies for control of multiple ROVs are discussed.