Tactile Situational Awareness System (TSAS)

Spatial disorientation (SD) and the subsequent loss of situation awareness account for a significant percentage of fatal mishaps in aviation. SD typically occurs when visual references are compromised, and the pilot’s vestibular and somatosensory (tactile) sensations no longer provide accurate gravity vector information due to changing acceleration and gravitational forces. Under these conditions, a pilot must rely on instrumentation to fly the aircraft, often with information that appears to be contrary to what their body is sensing. The objective of this proposed SBIR effort is to develop a new generation tactile sensory display to enhance pilot special awareness in all phases of flight. This Tactile Situational Awareness System (TSAS) will comprise of a processor integrated with current aircraft sensors, and a garment housing a number of vibrotactile transducers (Tactors). EAI proposes various approached to reducing the size and improving the performance of current generation tactors, so that they can produce a strong vibratory stimuli with amplitude control across a wide frequency range. EAI will also address the overall Tactile Display System (TDS) design and integration, including controller and software mapping for communication with a TSAS processor.