DEVELOPMENT OF A NEUROCONTROLLER SYSTEM EVALUATION METHODOLOGY AND SOFTWARE TOOLBOX

Rotorcraft shipboard landing task simulation requires a satisfactory level of fidelity for each simulator component. The components include the aircraft mathematical model, enviromental models, the simulator visual system, the motion system, the cockpit, associated computers, and component integration. A systematic study is proposed to quantify the minimum levels of fidelity required for each factor associated with simulating the rotorcraft/ship landing task. Rotorcraft/shipboard landing simulation fidelity will be evaluated in terms of fleet pilot training and in terms of supporting and eventually largely supplanting the dynamic interface (DI) flight testing performed by the Naval Air Test Center (NATC). The Phase I technical objective is to determine the minimum set and fidelity of simulation cues required for helicopter shipboard landing training and for developing DI launch/recovery envelopes. This objective will be accomplished in three tasks: (1) review and document previous work to quantify the level of fidelity of rotorcraft/ship landing simulatons, (2) consider the overall task and evaluate the individual factors that make up each component of the simulation task, and (3) develop a proposal to quantify in Phase II the required fidelity of the individual factors that make up each component of the rotorcraft/ship landing task.