Engineering topics

Batson, Vernon M.

Publications and source records attributed to Batson, Vernon M..

5 records

NASA NTRS1995

Ambient-Light Simulator For Testing Cockpit Displays

Apparatus provides illumination from outside, through windows and into interior of simulated airplane cockpit. Simulates sunlight, darkness, or lightning on demand. Ambient-lighting simulator surrounds forward section of simulated airplane. Provides control over intensity, color, and diffuseness of solar illumination and of position of Sun relative to airplane. Used to evaluate aircraft-instrumentation display devices under realistic lighting conditions.

Batson, Vernon M.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Navigating the airport surface: Electronic vs. paper maps

Recent advances in the Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) and ground/aircraft data-links provide a basis for the generation of an accurate cockpit navigational map display including data-linked ATC-cleared ground routes. Such an electronic map may have the potential to improve pilots' situation awareness and taxi performance and thereby lessen runway incursions. The objective of this simulator study was to assess the potential improvements in these areas when using an advanced electronic map (compared to using today's paper map) under two outside scene visibility levels. Results showed average taxi speed increased under both good and poor visibilities, by as much as 24 percent, due in part to eliminating the time used for orientation with the paper map. Pilots made only one-third as many errors as well and commented that they believed that the electronic map gave them better awareness.

Batson, Vernon M.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Effect of display parameters on pilots' ability to approach, flare and land

A workstation study is undertaken in which pilots conduct simulated landings via video images, and the effects are evaluated of field of view (FOV), magnification, resolution, update rate, and the use of aiding symbology. The simulation is conducted on the Advanced Real-time Simulation System with real-time controls, computer-generated imagery, and cockpit instrument displays. Five pilots fly 45 test runs with varying levels of FOV, update rate, aiding symbology, resolution, and magnification. Increased FOVs improve the runway streaming cues, and the pilots are shown to prefer unity magnification. Aiding symbology is shown to improve flare initiation and approach-heading variation, and the pilots prefer to use aiding symbology during the landing task. Update rate is also shown to have a critical effect on the pilots' ability to land the simulated aircraft.

Batson, Vernon M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Design, development and testing of an ambient lighting simulator for external illumination of a transport simulator cockpit

Researchers at the NASA-Langley Research Center several years ago began to examine concepts for a facility which could simulate the full range of lighting conditions encountered in flight. The purpose of this facility was to evaluate advanced technology display devices in a cockpit environment. The Aircraft Cockpit Ambient Lighting Simulation System (ACALSS) has been developed to meet that need. The ACALSS surrounds a wide-body part-task simulator cockpit, the Advanced Display Evaluation Cockpit, and interfaces with a VAX 11/780 computer, which is used to host both a math model of a modern transport aircraft and a solar motion model (which animates a servoed sun simulator). Several concepts were evaluated and an efficient design using an ellipsoid reflector and Fresnel luminaires was selected for implementation.

Batson, Vernon M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Determination of washout performance of various monochrome displays under simulated flight ambient and solar lighting conditions

The aircraft cockpit ambient lighting simulation system (ACALSS) has been developed to study display readability and associated pilot/vehicle performance effects in a part-task simulator cockpit. In the study reported here, the ACALSS was used to determine the illumination levels at which subjects lose the ability to maintain aircraft states when using three display technologies as display media for primary flight displays: a standard monochrome EL (electroluminescent) flat-panel, a laboratory-class monochrome CRT, and an enhanced-brightness EL flat-panel. The multivariate statistical technique of modified profile analysis was used to test for performance differences between display devices as functions of illumination levels. The standard monochrome EL flat-panel display began to washout after the 2500 foot-candle level of illumination. The monochrome CRT began to washout after the 5500 foot-candle level of illumination. No performance decrements by increased illumination up to the 12,000 foot-candle level were found for the enhanced-brightness EL flat-panel display. What was not anticipated was that half the subjects would subjectively prefer the CRT over the enhanced-brightness EL, even though their performance errors would have indicated the opposite.

Batson, Vernon M.↗