Flight Test Assistant

The recent development of fully capable pocket size computers and miniature inertial sensors and GPS receivers has created a real opportunity for innovation in the conduct of flight tests. Creare’s Flight Test Assistant (FTA) takes full advantage of these new technologies to address issues of instrumentation cost, test productivity, and data quality. Our FTA combines off-the-shelf sensors with dynamic calibration routines and innovative estimation algorithms to provide accurate test results. Key enabling technologies include a robust speaker-adaptive speech recognition engine that remains reliable in challenging cockpit noise levels. An object-oriented graphical programming environment facilitates pre-flight system configuration with a minimal learning curve. In flight, an intuitive display interface provides feedback on test execution and test point quality. In Phase I, we proved the feasibility of the FTA concept by demonstrating key technologies in a prototype system. Accurate voice recognition in noise was confirmed in Creare’s acoustic test facility. Dynamic calibration and estimation was demonstrated in flight tests with a representative sensor suite, while prototype operation was evaluated in a flight simulator. In Phase II, we will complete the system and validate its performance in a series of flight tests.