Everything has been tested over and over again in the flight-simulator. After ten years of software programming and testing with pilots and the aerospace industry, it’s come this far.
Last week, American test pilots began flying a Boeing 757 with TU Delft software for a safer airplane navigation system on board. Thanks to President Clinton.
“It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever been involved with. The organization was super-professional. Absolutely nothing was improvised,” says Dr. Erik Theunissen, who has recently returned from the United States. Last week ‘his’ software, which is designed to make images of the outside world appear on a cockpit screen, was tested for the first time in a large aircraft at NASA Langley.
In the most expensive test-aircraft in the world, a Boeing 757, the majority of seats have been replaced with shelves for computers and monitors. Every organization that takes part in the tests can plug in their own computers. “Most of the day is spent sitting in the briefing room, waiting to hear what test will be conducted and in what order,” says Theunissen, who is an assistant professor in electronic navigation systems at the sub-faculty of Electronics
When it’s the TU Delft’s software’s turn to be tested, the computers are linked to the screen of one of the test pilots. The other test pilot has the standard navigation screens before him and can intervene if the new system malfunctions. This was not necessary, however. “An experienced test pilot said later that he never had such great situational awareness in the air as he did with our software.”
The software of Delphins (Delft Program for Hybridized Instrumentation and Navigation Systems) makes three-dimensional images of the chosen flight route and surrounding area. The chosen flight route is on the screen and looks like a sort of tunnel in the sky in which the pilot must keep his plane. The pilot sees on the screen where he will be in five seconds if he hasn’t altered anything. With traditional displays, which still strongly resemble the old mechanical displays, the pilot is %a dumb controller’ who must keep the two crosses on the screen as close to each other as possible. With the Delfts navigation system the pilot can look into the future and anticipate, says Theunissen. Pilots can also land in bad weather when visibility is low and accurately fly a prescribed route with curves at low altitudes
Victims
Ten years ago, Theunissen could never have imagined that his graduation project would ever be tested on such a grand scale. Following his Ph.D. graduation, he got financing from the Dutch Foundation for Applied Sciences (Dutch abbreviation: STW). He also had a lot of contact with the aviation industry. He knew the industry was interested in his navigation software, but such large-scale tests he never could have carried out himself. Much too expensive. Until, in 1997, President Clinton pledged to lower the percentage of aircraft accidents by 80% within ten years. To achieve this target, Clinton gave a big sack of money to NASA
In 60% of all flying-related fatalities the accident was not caused by technical failures. NASA, therefore, has devoted a large amount of money to techniques that will improve the pilot’s vision. Aviation giant, Rockwell Collins, asked TU Delft to take part in a project subsidized by NASA, together with the other aviation companies and aircraft maker Boeing. “That was a dream team. All the big players were involved, so we were happy to join in. Via Fokker, we built up a strong relationship with Collins.”
Intense Red
“You mustn’t focus on making the picture. That’s children’s work,” says Theunissen, explaining his research methods. From experiments with pilots, it turns out that images don’t have to be photo-realistic. “Our philosophy is to accentuate the important aspects of the images. All buildings and mountains that are, at a certain moment, higher than the airplane itself are, for example, an intense red color on the screen.”
A unique thing about the Delft system is that the software program can deal with small mistakes the sensors might make during the flight. Moreover, there is a small time-delay before some sensors send their signals to the computer and Delft’s software system can handle this quite well.
Another successful aspect of the project is the close cooperation with the industry, says Theunissen. “Through our good contacts we now have access to the latest aircraft systems that are not yet on the market. Having this access means I can adjust my software to the new standard.”
Further, a new system only has a chance to succeed if it doesn’t require serious alterations to the aircraft, says Theunissen. “We’ve made use of sensors that are already on airplanes and only need to change one display and the controlling computer.”
Mountainous
Pilots were involved in the development of the software, giving their opinions during tests on flight simulators. “We first had to convince the pilots that our new system can be more useful in some situations. Therefore, for example, we asked them to perform a really difficult landing in a mountainous region while experiencing engine problems. When they see advantages, they will cooperate seriously on optimizing the system, wherein you selectively change variables, such as the screen resolution. We want to discover if changing these variables influences flying accuracy and the stress on the pilot.”
In the coming weeks, test flights will continue in Dalles and the test pilots will perform more difficult tasks. In a few months the Delfts system will undergo the ultimate test: a series of landings at Eagle-Vail Airport, in Colorado, which is surrounded by mountains.
For more information about the project see: www.synthetic-vision.tudelft.nl
(translation: David McMullin)
In the test-aircraft the passenger seats are replaced by computers.
Via cameras in the cockpit, researchers in the rear of the aircraft can see the cockpit screen
Everything has been tested over and over again in the flight-simulator. After ten years of software programming and testing with pilots and the aerospace industry, it’s come this far. Last week, American test pilots began flying a Boeing 757 with TU Delft software for a safer airplane navigation system on board. Thanks to President Clinton.
“It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever been involved with. The organization was super-professional. Absolutely nothing was improvised,” says Dr. Erik Theunissen, who has recently returned from the United States. Last week ‘his’ software, which is designed to make images of the outside world appear on a cockpit screen, was tested for the first time in a large aircraft at NASA Langley.
In the most expensive test-aircraft in the world, a Boeing 757, the majority of seats have been replaced with shelves for computers and monitors. Every organization that takes part in the tests can plug in their own computers. “Most of the day is spent sitting in the briefing room, waiting to hear what test will be conducted and in what order,” says Theunissen, who is an assistant professor in electronic navigation systems at the sub-faculty of Electronics
When it’s the TU Delft’s software’s turn to be tested, the computers are linked to the screen of one of the test pilots. The other test pilot has the standard navigation screens before him and can intervene if the new system malfunctions. This was not necessary, however. “An experienced test pilot said later that he never had such great situational awareness in the air as he did with our software.”
The software of Delphins (Delft Program for Hybridized Instrumentation and Navigation Systems) makes three-dimensional images of the chosen flight route and surrounding area. The chosen flight route is on the screen and looks like a sort of tunnel in the sky in which the pilot must keep his plane. The pilot sees on the screen where he will be in five seconds if he hasn’t altered anything. With traditional displays, which still strongly resemble the old mechanical displays, the pilot is %a dumb controller’ who must keep the two crosses on the screen as close to each other as possible. With the Delfts navigation system the pilot can look into the future and anticipate, says Theunissen. Pilots can also land in bad weather when visibility is low and accurately fly a prescribed route with curves at low altitudes
Victims
Ten years ago, Theunissen could never have imagined that his graduation project would ever be tested on such a grand scale. Following his Ph.D. graduation, he got financing from the Dutch Foundation for Applied Sciences (Dutch abbreviation: STW). He also had a lot of contact with the aviation industry. He knew the industry was interested in his navigation software, but such large-scale tests he never could have carried out himself. Much too expensive. Until, in 1997, President Clinton pledged to lower the percentage of aircraft accidents by 80% within ten years. To achieve this target, Clinton gave a big sack of money to NASA
In 60% of all flying-related fatalities the accident was not caused by technical failures. NASA, therefore, has devoted a large amount of money to techniques that will improve the pilot’s vision. Aviation giant, Rockwell Collins, asked TU Delft to take part in a project subsidized by NASA, together with the other aviation companies and aircraft maker Boeing. “That was a dream team. All the big players were involved, so we were happy to join in. Via Fokker, we built up a strong relationship with Collins.”
Intense Red
“You mustn’t focus on making the picture. That’s children’s work,” says Theunissen, explaining his research methods. From experiments with pilots, it turns out that images don’t have to be photo-realistic. “Our philosophy is to accentuate the important aspects of the images. All buildings and mountains that are, at a certain moment, higher than the airplane itself are, for example, an intense red color on the screen.”
A unique thing about the Delft system is that the software program can deal with small mistakes the sensors might make during the flight. Moreover, there is a small time-delay before some sensors send their signals to the computer and Delft’s software system can handle this quite well.
Another successful aspect of the project is the close cooperation with the industry, says Theunissen. “Through our good contacts we now have access to the latest aircraft systems that are not yet on the market. Having this access means I can adjust my software to the new standard.”
Further, a new system only has a chance to succeed if it doesn’t require serious alterations to the aircraft, says Theunissen. “We’ve made use of sensors that are already on airplanes and only need to change one display and the controlling computer.”
Mountainous
Pilots were involved in the development of the software, giving their opinions during tests on flight simulators. “We first had to convince the pilots that our new system can be more useful in some situations. Therefore, for example, we asked them to perform a really difficult landing in a mountainous region while experiencing engine problems. When they see advantages, they will cooperate seriously on optimizing the system, wherein you selectively change variables, such as the screen resolution. We want to discover if changing these variables influences flying accuracy and the stress on the pilot.”
In the coming weeks, test flights will continue in Dalles and the test pilots will perform more difficult tasks. In a few months the Delfts system will undergo the ultimate test: a series of landings at Eagle-Vail Airport, in Colorado, which is surrounded by mountains.
For more information about the project see: www.synthetic-vision.tudelft.nl
(translation: David McMullin)
In the test-aircraft the passenger seats are replaced by computers.
Via cameras in the cockpit, researchers in the rear of the aircraft can see the cockpit screen
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