Thesis
Influence of Helmet Mounted Display symbology and Spatial Audio Horizon Cueing on prevention and recovery from Spatial Disorientation
University of Iowa
Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
Autumn 2024
DOI: 10.25820/etd.007546
Abstract
Spatial Disorientation (SD) continues to be one of the costliest problems in terms of loss of life and equipment for aviation. Significant effort has gone into developing new technologies to reduce the likelihood of SD and improving recovery from such scenarios. In the military domain, conveying flight information through Helmet Mounted Displays (HMD) or Spatial Audio Horizon Cueing (SAHC) has gained significant interest. Using an HMD or SAHC enables attitude information to be conveyed to a pilot regardless of head orientation, allowing pilots to remain Off Boresight (OBS) while maintaining spatial awareness. However, there is a concern that reliance on this technology could diminish a pilot’s spatial awareness. This research examines how OBS symbology and SAHC affect a pilot’s ability to recover from unusual attitudes and maintain spatial awareness during flight. To evaluate different configurations of symbology and SAHC, recovery performance, workload, situational awareness, head movements, and subjective ratings were recorded during flights onboard an L29 Delfin trainer jet. Although no statistical significance was determined when comparing newly developed OBS symbology vs a Current Display Format (CDF) or SAHC ON vs SAHC OFF, several emerging trends were observed. Based on these trends the conformal reference OBS symbology has the best potential to increase a pilot’s spatial awareness, therefore decreasing the likelihood of an SD incident. However, the results from SAHC suggest that its advantages and disadvantages must be further explored.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Influence of Helmet Mounted Display symbology and Spatial Audio Horizon Cueing on prevention and recovery from Spatial Disorientation
- Creators
- Jeffrey Buck
- Contributors
- Thomas Schnell (Advisor)Venanzio Cichella (Committee Member)Hiroyuki Sugiyama (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Mechanical Engineering
- Date degree season
- Autumn 2024
- DOI
- 10.25820/etd.007546
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- xii, 95 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2024 Jeffrey Buck
- Language
- English
- Date submitted
- 12/09/2024
- Description illustrations
- Illustrations, tables, graphs, charts
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 94-95).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Spatial Disorientation (SD) remains a major issue in aviation, leading to significant loss of life and equipment. To address this, new technologies have been developed to reduce the risk of SD and improve recovery. In the military, Helmet Mounted Displays (HMD) and Spatial Audio Horizon Cueing (SAHC) have become popular for conveying flight information. These technologies allow pilots to receive attitude information regardless of head orientation, helping them maintain spatial awareness even when looking Off Boresight (OBS). However, there are concerns that relying on these technologies might reduce a pilot's spatial awareness. This study explores how OBS symbology and SAHC impact a pilot's ability to recover from unusual attitudes and maintain spatial awareness during flight. Various configurations of symbology and SAHC were tested by measuring recovery performance, workload, situational awareness, head movements, and subjective ratings during flights in an L29 Delfin trainer jet. While no significant differences were found between the new OBS symbology and the Current Display Format (CDF), or between SAHC ON and SAHC OFF, some trends suggest that certain symbology could improve spatial awareness and reduce SD incidents.
- Academic Unit
- Mechanical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984774456202771
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