About the Project

When using Remote Controlled (RC) helicopters or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) there is a lack of situational awareness compared to sitting in the pilot's seat. The primary interfaces used in a real piloting situation include Visual, Auditory, and Tactile feedback; of these, auditory and tactile feedback are lost, and visual feedback is greatly reduced. There is also the disadvantage of losing the human body's natural ability to determine their own orientation: the lack of vestibular system. This loss of awareness results in a loss of functionality, lack of operator efficiency, and loss of productivity for these remote operators, as well as an inability to deal with anomalous events.

Impact Statement

To design an alternative, more intuitive, immersive, flight control and navigation system to increase operator effectiveness that is easy to learn and use, without negatively impacting on aerial vehicle abilities or maneuverability.