Tactile displays in the cockpit: Developments in the Netherlands
conference paper
Tactile displays provide information by applying local vibrations to the user's skin. The research organization TNO has developed a tactile torso display by implementing a number of pager motors, or “tactors” into a vest, allowing for the generation of spatio-temporal patterns. TNO carries out research into the usefulness of this tactile torso display as an
additional cockpit instrument. In a series of experiments, in a simulator and in an actual helicopter, it was shown that tactile information can significantly enhance hover performance, waypoint navigation, spatial orientation, and reduce the effects of extra workload. The general advantage of well-designed tactile cues is that they are intuitive, induce short response times, and are "eyes free". The latter aspect allows pilots to keep their eyes on external visual references, which is particularly useful in flight tasks that depend on external visual references, such as helicopter landings. Tactile cues may improve flight safety in low-visibility conditions, for example in brown-out situations where the helicopter downwash stirs up sand. In a recent flight trial with a Cougar helicopter the landing maneuver was performed quicker and more accurate with tactile feedback than in the condition without tactile feedback. This paper gives an overview of the TNO research in this area.
additional cockpit instrument. In a series of experiments, in a simulator and in an actual helicopter, it was shown that tactile information can significantly enhance hover performance, waypoint navigation, spatial orientation, and reduce the effects of extra workload. The general advantage of well-designed tactile cues is that they are intuitive, induce short response times, and are "eyes free". The latter aspect allows pilots to keep their eyes on external visual references, which is particularly useful in flight tasks that depend on external visual references, such as helicopter landings. Tactile cues may improve flight safety in low-visibility conditions, for example in brown-out situations where the helicopter downwash stirs up sand. In a recent flight trial with a Cougar helicopter the landing maneuver was performed quicker and more accurate with tactile feedback than in the condition without tactile feedback. This paper gives an overview of the TNO research in this area.
TNO Identifier
23527
Source title
AIAA Modeling and Simulation Technologies Conference and Exhibit 18 - 21 August 2008, Honolulu, Hawaii
Files
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