Displays for Ecological VSTOL Operation (DEVO)

Despite their utility, VSTOL aircraft have been plagued by high accident rates, leading to unacceptable safety risks and extensive equipment maintenance costs. To enhance VSTOL safety, particularly under instrument flight or degraded visual conditions, we will design, demonstrate, and evaluate novel visual Displays for Ecological VSTOL Operation (DEVO). These displays—the first application of ecological design principles to VSTOL flight control—will increase the safety of both manned and unmanned VSTOL operations through simple visual cues to support operators’ direct perception of vehicle dynamics. Three major components comprise our approach. First, we will combine demonstrated work domain analysis techniques, theories of ecological perception, and rapid software prototyping techniques to design and demonstrate simple display mechanisms for presenting critical system information to the operator. Second, we will conduct basic human-performance experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of these display mechanisms in enhancing novice pilots’ skill acquisition and performance. Third, we will identify potential approaches for developing self-paced intelligent tutoring systems to leverage these displays in training VSTOL operators. We will also work with subcontractor Aurora Flight Systems to identify a pathway for demonstrating the use of these displays to control an Aurora unmanned vehicle in a live flight test under Phase II.