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At least 37 records · Page 2

The use of vestibular models for design and evaluation of flight simulator motion

Quantitative models for the dynamics of the human vestibular system are applied to the design and evaluation of flight simulator platform motion. An optimal simulator motion control algorithm is generated to minimize the vector difference between perceived spatial orientation estimated in flight and in simulation. The motion controller has been implemented on the Vertical Motion Simulator at NASA Ames Research Center and evaluated experimentally through measurement of pilot performance and subjective rating during VTOL aircraft simulation. In general, pilot performance in a longitudinal tracking task (formation flight) did not appear to be sensitive to variations in platform motion condition as long as motion was present. However, pilot assessment of motion fidelity by means of a rating scale designed for this purpose, were sensitive to motion controller design. Platform motion generated with the optimal motion controller was found to be generally equivalent to that generated by conventional linear crossfeed washout. The vestibular models are used to evaluate the motion fidelity of transport category aircraft (Boeing 727) simulation in a pilot performance and simulator acceptability study at the Man-Vehicle Systems Research Facility at NASA Ames Research Center. Eighteen airline pilots, currently flying B-727, were given a series of flight scenarios in the simulator under various conditions of simulator motion. The scenarios were chosen to reflect the flight maneuvers that these pilots might expect to be given during a routine pilot proficiency check. Pilot performance and subjective rating of simulator fidelity was relatively insensitive to the motion condition, despite large differences in the amplitude of motion provided. This lack of sensitivity may be explained by means of the vestibular models, which predict little difference in the modeled motion sensations of the pilots when different motion conditions are imposed.

Bussolari, Steven R.↗

Flight simulator requirements for airline transport pilot training - An evaluation of motion system design alternatives

The effect of motion platform systems on pilot behavior is considered with emphasis placed on civil aviation applications. A dynamic model for human spatial orientation based on the physiological structure and function of the human vestibular system is presented. Motion platform alternatives were evaluated on the basis of the following motion platform conditions: motion with six degrees-of-freedom required for Phase II simulators and two limited motion conditions. Consideration was given to engine flameout, airwork, and approach and landing scenarios.

Lee, A. T.↗

Visual cueing aids for rotorcraft landings

The present study used a rotorcraft simulator to examine descents-to-hover at landing pads with one of three approach lighting configurations. The impact of simulator platform motion upon descents to hover was also examined. The results showed that the configuration with the most useful optical information led to the slowest final approach speeds, and that pilots found this configuration, together with the presence of simulator platform motion, most desirable. The results also showed that platform motion led to higher rates of approach to the landing pad in some cases. Implications of the results for the design of vertiport approach paths are discussed.

Johnson, Walter W.↗

On the characteristics of the wake of a wind turbine undergoing large motions caused by a floating structure: an insight based on experiments and multi-fidelity simulations from the OC6 project Phase III

This study reports the results of the second round of analyses of the Offshore Code Comparison, Collaboration, Continued, with Correlation and unCertainty (OC6) project Phase III. While the first round investigated rotor aerodynamic loading, here, focus is given to the wake behavior of a floating wind turbine under large motion. Wind tunnel experimental data from the UNsteady Aerodynamics for FLOating Wind (UNAFLOW) project are compared with the results of simulations provided by participants with methods and codes of different levels of fidelity. The effect of platform motion on both the near and the far wake is investigated. More specifically, the behavior of tip vortices in the near wake is evaluated through multiple metrics, such as streamwise position, core radius, convection velocity, and circulation. Additionally, the onset of velocity oscillations in the far wake is analyzed because this can have a negative effect on stability and loading of downstream rotors. Results in the near wake for unsteady cases confirm that simulations and experiments tend to diverge from the expected linearized quasi-steady behavior when the rotor reduced frequency increases over 0.5. Additionally, differences across the simulations become significant, suggesting that further efforts are required to tune the currently available methodologies in order to correctly evaluate the aerodynamic response of a floating wind turbine in unsteady conditions. Regarding the far wake, it is seen that, in some conditions, numerical methods overpredict the impact of platform motion on the velocity fluctuations. Moreover, results suggest that the effect of platform motion on the far wake, differently from original expectations about a faster wake recovery in a floating wind turbine, seems to be limited or even oriented to the generation of a wake less prone to dissipation.

17 WIND ENERGY↗

New Report Highlights LAMP's Role as a Robust and Reliable System for Wave Energy Converter Testing

Harnessing the power of waves requires more than just putting devices in the ocean - it takes tools that can refine and accelerate innovation before the first deployment. That's where NLR's largeamplitude motion platform, or LAMP, comes in. LAMP is a six-degree-of-freedom motion system designed to replicate the response of a wave energy converter (WEC) device in realistic ocean conditions. By letting researchers evaluate WEC performance in a safe, controlled lab environment before moving offshore, LAMP helps accelerate innovation while reducing risk. An NLR report, titled Initial Characterization of the NLR LargeAmplitude Motion Platform (https://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy26osti/93733.pdf), provides a deeper understanding of LAMP's capabilities and also lays the groundwork for future advancements in WEC testing methodologies. Researchers studied LAMP's amplitude and frequency limits across different payloads and collected data from 16 test profiles. Testing demonstrated that platform accuracy remained consistent across all payloads evaluated; researchers expect similar accuracy up to LAMP's 10,000-kilogram capacity limit. The measured position limits for single degrees of freedom experienced by WECs, including surge, sway, heave, roll, pitch, and yaw, also exceeded the original manufacturer specifications, providing new insight into the true boundaries of the system.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Developing An Earth-Fixed Visual Reference to Aid Stability, Readaptation and Egress After a Water Landing

INTRODUCTION Water landings present the worst possible sensory conditions for crews trying to orient and stabilize themselves immediately after long-duration spaceflight. Of the three sensory feedback systems involved in maintaining stability (i.e., proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual), none will provide reliable orientation information under the current water landing scenarios. The proprioceptive and vestibular systems are affected during spaceflight by disuse and adaptation to microgravity. Vision may not suffer the same degradation, but the visual environment within the enclosed space of a capsule, or interior room of a recovery ship, is disorienting when subject to wave-induced motion. The result is an increased risk of fall-related injury. In a prior study, 70% (21 of 30) of nonimpaired subjects reported that the presence of an Earth-fixed horizontal line helped them stabilize when their visually enclosed environment was exposed to wave motion. In addition to aiding stability, sensory re-adaptation occurs when inputs from the three sensory systems are synchronized with one another and aligned with Earth’s gravity. The earlier an Earth-fixed visual reference can be introduced the sooner the readaptation process can begin. The goal of this project is to identify the optimal features of a device that visually presents gravitational reference cues to support stability and readaptation. METHODS The capsule sensory-condition simulator is a three-sided enclosure atop a six degree-of-freedom motion platform. A sum-of-sines equation is used to drive the motion platform, producing the simulated wave motion. The equation was derived using the frequency range present in inertial measurement unit (IMU) data collected during open-water Orion mock-up testing. The enclosure creates the nature of a floating visual environment where the walls move in relation to the standing surface. To more accurately represent the condition of postflight crewmembers, galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) is applied to disrupt normal vestibular function and standing on a compliant surface attenuates proprioceptive feedback. An instrumented handhold allows the subjects to stabilize themselves and serves as the primary dependent variable. Subjects are instructed to minimize handhold use so the higher forces applied to the handhold correspond to greater instability. Various forms of a visual reference have been explored. Passive systems, such as mechanical gimbals and weighted plumb bobs were eliminated from consideration because of the intertia-induced oscillations that the wave-motion causes. Laser lines presented as horizontal, vertical, or the combination of both are being used to provide the Earth-fixed visual reference. These are presented in the central visual field or periphery from laser sources that are mounted either from within or outside the visual enclosure. RESULTS Data collection for this study is currently in progress. CONCLUSIONS This study will determine whether a visual reference system can help improve stability during challenging sensory conditions and define the optimal chacteristics for such a system.

Brian T Peters↗

Pilot-Induced Oscillation Prediction With Three Levels of Simulation Motion Displacement

Simulator motion platform characteristics were examined to determine if the amount of motion affects pilot-induced oscillation (PIO) prediction. Five test pilots evaluated how susceptible 18 different sets of pitch dynamics were to PIOs with three different levels of simulation motion platform displacement: large, small, and none. The pitch dynamics were those of a previous in-flight experiment, some of which elicited PIOs These in-flight results served as truth data for the simulation. As such, the in-flight experiment was replicated as much as possible. Objective and subjective data were collected and analyzed With large motion, PIO and handling qualities ratings matched the flight data more closely than did small motion or no motion. Also, regardless of the aircraft dynamics, large motion increased pilot confidence in assigning handling qualifies ratings, reduced safety pilot trips, and lowered touchdown velocities. While both large and small motion provided a pitch rate cue of high fidelity, only large motion presented the pilot with a high fidelity vertical acceleration cue.

Schroeder, Jeffery A.↗

Future directions in flight simulation: A user perspective

Langley Research Center was an early leader in simulation technology, including a special emphasis in space vehicle simulations such as the rendezvous and docking simulator for the Gemini program and the lunar landing simulator used before Apollo. In more recent times, Langley operated the first synergistic six degree of freedom motion platform (the Visual Motion Simulator, or VMS) and developed the first dual-dome air combat simulator, the Differential Maneuvering Simulator (DMS). Each Langley simulator was developed more or less independently from one another with different programming support. At present time, the various simulation cockpits, while supported by the same host computer system, run dissimilar software. The majority of recent investments in Langley's simulation facilities have been hardware procurements: host processors, visual systems, and most recently, an improved motion system. Investments in software improvements, however, have not been of the same order.

Jackson, Bruce↗

Runway Texture and Grid Pattern Effects on Rate-of-Descent Perception

To date, perceptual errors occur in determining descent rate from a computer-generated image in flight simulation. Pilots tend to touch down twice as hard in simulation than in flight, and more training time is needed in simulation before reaching steady-state performance. Barnes suggested that recognition of range may be the culprit, and he cited that problems such as collimated objects, binocular vision, and poor resolution lead to poor estimation of the velocity vector. Brown's study essentially ruled out that the lack of binocular vision is the problem. Dorfel added specificity to the problem by showing that pilots underestimated range in simulated scenes by 50% when 800 ft from the runway threshold. Palmer and Petitt showed that pilots are able to distinguish between a 1.7 ft/sec and 2.9 ft/sec sink rate when passively observing sink rates in a night scene. Platform motion also plays a role, as previous research has shown that the addition of substantial platform motion improves pilot estimates of vertical velocity and results in simulated touchdown rates more closely resembling flight. This experiment examined how some specific variations in the visual scene properties affect a pilot's perception of sink rate. It extended another experiment that focused on the visual and motion cues necessary for helicopter autorotations. In that experiment, pilots performed steep approaches to a runway. The visual content of the runway and its surroundings varied in two ways: texture and rectangular grid spacing. Four textures, included a no-texture case, were evaluated. Three grid spacings, including a no-grid case, were evaluated. The results showed that pilot better controlled their vertical descent rates when good texture cues were present. No significant differences were found for the grid manipulation. Using those visual scenes a simple psychophysics, experiment was performed. The purpose was to determine if the variations in the visual scenes allowed pilots to better perceive vertical velocity. To determine that answer, pilots passively viewed a particular visual scene in which the vehicle was descending at two different rates. Pilots had to select which of the two rates they thought was the fastest rate. The difference between the two rates changed using a staircase method, depending on whether or not the pilot was correct, until a minimum threshold between the two descent rates was reached. This process was repeated for all of the visual scenes to decide whether or not the visual scenes did allow pilots to perceive vertical velocity better among them. All of the data have yet to be analyzed; however, neither the effects of grid nor texture revealed any statistically significant trends. On further examination of the staircase method employed, a possibility exists that the lack of an evident trend may be due to the exit criterion used during the study. As such, the experiment will be repeated with an improved exit criterion in February. Results of this study will be presented in the submitted paper.

Schroeder, J. A.↗

A Nonlinear, Human-Centered Approach to Motion Cueing with a Neurocomputing Solver

This paper discusses the continuation of research into the development of new motion cueing algorithms first reported in 1999. In this earlier work, two viable approaches to motion cueing were identified: the coordinated adaptive washout algorithm or 'adaptive algorithm', and the 'optimal algorithm'. In this study, a novel approach to motion cueing is discussed that would combine features of both algorithms. The new algorithm is formulated as a linear optimal control problem, incorporating improved vestibular models and an integrated visual-vestibular motion perception model previously reported. A control law is generated from the motion platform states, resulting in a set of nonlinear cueing filters. The time-varying control law requires the matrix Riccati equation to be solved in real time. Therefore, in order to meet the real time requirement, a neurocomputing approach is used to solve this computationally challenging problem. Single degree-of-freedom responses for the nonlinear algorithm were generated and compared to the adaptive and optimal algorithms. Results for the heave mode show the nonlinear algorithm producing a motion cue with a time-varying washout, sustaining small cues for a longer duration and washing out larger cues more quickly. The addition of the optokinetic influence from the integrated perception model was shown to improve the response to a surge input, producing a specific force response with no steady-state washout. Improved cues are also observed for responses to a sway input. Yaw mode responses reveal that the nonlinear algorithm improves the motion cues by reducing the magnitude of negative cues. The effectiveness of the nonlinear algorithm as compared to the adaptive and linear optimal algorithms will be evaluated on a motion platform, the NASA Langley Research Center Visual Motion Simulator (VMS), and ultimately the Cockpit Motion Facility (CMF) with a series of pilot controlled maneuvers. A proposed experimental procedure is discussed. The results of this evaluation will be used to assess motion cueing performance.

Telban, Robert J.↗

Adaptive filtering of biodynamic stick feedthrough in manipulation tasks on board moving platforms

A novel approach to suppress the effects of biodynamic interference is presented. An adaptive noise canceling technique is employed for substracting the platform motion correlated components from the control stick output. The effects of biodynamic interference and its suppression by adaptive noise cancellation has been evaluated in a series of tracking tasks performed in a moving base simulator. Simulator motions were in pitch, roll and combined pitch and roll. Human operator performance was assessed from the mean square values of the tracking error and the control activity. The tracking error and the total stick output signal were found to increase significantly with motion and to diminish substantially with adaptive noise cancellation, thus providing a considerable improvement in tracking performance under conditions in which platform motion were present. The adaptive filter was found to cause a significant increase in the cross-over frequency and decrease in the phase margin. Moreover, the adaptive filter was found to significantly improve the human operator visual motor response. This improvement is manifested as an increased human operator gain, a smaller time delay and lower pilot workload.

Velger, M.↗

UNH TDP - Concurrent Measurements of Inflow, Power Performance, and Loads for a Grid-Synchronized Vertical Axis Cross-Flow Turbine Operating in a Tidal Estuary

This data was collected between October 12 and December 15 of 2021 at the University of New Hampshire (UNH) and Atlantic Marine Energy Center (AMEC) turbine deployment platform (TDP). This data set includes over 29 days of grid connected turbine operation during this 65 day time frame. The priority for this measurement campaign was to collect data while the turbine was electrically connected to the grid by means of a rectifier and inverter. The Fall_2021_UNH_Measurement_Timeline.png highlights when each instrument was functioning and the Fall_2021_UNH_Test_Log.jpg indicates the four main regions for analysis available from this measurement campaign. The TDP is a floating structure moored on the Portsmouth facing side of Memorial Bridge pier #2, which spans the Piscataqua River between Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME. The Piscataqua River connects the Great Bay Estuary to the Gulf of Maine and the river currents are dominated by tidal forcing with water velocities exceeding 2.5 m/s during spring ebb tides at this site which were previously characterized by Kaelin Chancey (Assessment Of The Localized Flow And Tidal Energy Conversion System At An Estuarine Bridge - UNH MS Thesis 2019). The turbine under test was a modified New Energy Corporation (Calgary, CA) model EVG-025 4-blade H-Darrius type vertical axis cross flow turbine that rotates in the clockwise direction with a rotor diameter of 3.2m and blade length of 1.7m. The hydro-foil profile was a NACA 0021 with a 10 inch chord length and a blade preset pitch angle of +4deg with a positive angle corresponding with the toe in direction. The standard EVG-025 has a rotor diameter of 3.4m and its rated power output is 25kW at 3 m/s. The rotor diameter was reduced to accommodate the size of the existing TDP moon-pool. This project was pursued to quantify device performance for cross flow turbines operating in a marine environment. Accurate physical models, to characterize cross flow turbine performance, require real operational data sets due to the complexity of blade fluid interactions. This data can help support model development which will help predict turbine performance when analyzing perspective project locations in the future. Instrumentation was deployed to measure; water speed/direction, electrical power output, turbine shaft speed, turbine thrust force, and platform motion. Concurrent measurements of these parameters allow for correlations (cause and affect) to be inferred, allowing for characterization of device performance over a range of operating conditions. Water currents were measured using Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP's) and Acoustic Doppler Velocimeters (ADV's) directly upstream and downstream of the turbine for inflow, wake and turbulence measurements. Electrical power output was measured using the Voltsys rectifier and the Shark power meter. Shaft speed was calculated based on the Voltsys measurements of the permanent magnet three phase generator AC generation frequency, coupled directly to the cross flow turbine under test (i.e., no gear box). Platform motions were captured using a Yost IMU (inertial measurement unit). Turbine thrust loading was measured using a reaction arm about the turbine deployment platform spanning beam, where two bi-directional load cells were connected to the system via a pinned connection. This submission includes zipped folders for each instrument containing quality controlled (QC'd) data in daily .csv files for the relevant duration specific to each instrument, along with separate .csv file that contains the units for each variable. Some instrument daily files are quite large and can pose a challenge for a visual spreadsheet editor to open. A processing software like MATLAB or Python is recommended. Note the degree of QC varied between each instrument due to time constraints. Particular time and attention was given to perform quality control tests on the acoustic based instruments that are particularly suscep...

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Command profile for Galileo scan platform control

A recursive command profile is developed for the control of a two-degree-of-freedom scan platform mounted on a flexible structure. Perfect sensors and actuators are assumed for development and testing, and structural vibrations are minimized by actuator torque commands following a smooth torque-time profile. The integral of the smooth torque profile, the rate profile, is recursively generated by a piecewise constant second derivation, and the torque applied by the closk actuator is divided into three components. Results show that the smooth platform motion in response to the command profiles is what the Galileo control systems needs to avoid stator structural vibrations. Position, rate and acceleration profiles are also presented, and the resulting motion of the scan platform in response to command profiles is illustrated.

Man, G. K.↗

Visually guided control of movement in the context of multimodal stimulation

Flight simulation has been almost exclusively concerned with simulating the motions of the aircraft. Physically distinct subsystems are often combined to simulate the varieties of aircraft motion. Visual display systems simulate the motion of the aircraft relative to remote objects and surfaces (e.g., other aircraft and the terrain). 'Motion platform' simulators recreate aircraft motion relative to the gravitoinertial vector (i.e., correlated rotation and tilt as opposed to the 'coordinated turn' in flight). 'Control loaders' attempt to simulate the resistance of the aerodynamic medium to aircraft motion. However, there are few operational systems that attempt to simulate the motion of the pilot relative to the aircraft and the gravitoinertial vector. The design and use of all simulators is limited by poor understanding of postural control in the aircraft and its effect on the perception and control of flight. Analysis of the perception and control of flight (real or simulated) must consider that: (1) the pilot is not rigidly attached to the aircraft; and (2) the pilot actively monitors and adjusts body orientation and configuration in the aircraft. It is argued that this more complete approach to flight simulation requires that multimodal perception be considered as the rule rather than the exception. Moreover, the necessity of multimodal perception is revealed by emphasizing the complementarity rather than the redundancy among perceptual systems. Finally, an outline is presented for an experiment to be conducted at NASA ARC. The experiment explicitly considers possible consequences of coordination between postural and vehicular control.

Riccio, Gary E.↗

Strain System for the Motion Base Shuttle Mission Simulator

The Motion Base Shuttle Mission Simulator (MBSMS) Strain System is an innovative engineering tool used to monitor the stresses applied to the MBSMS motion platform tilt pivot frames during motion simulations in real time. The Strain System comprises hardware and software produced by several different companies. The system utilizes a series of strain gages, accelerometers, orientation sensor, rotational meter, scanners, computer, and software packages working in unison. By monitoring and recording the inputs applied to the simulator, data can be analyzed if weld cracks or other problems are found during routine simulator inspections. This will help engineers diagnose problems as well as aid in repair solutions for both current as well as potential problems.

Huber, David C.↗

An Initial Examination of Roll-Lateral Coordination Motion Requirements in Flight Simulation

A piloted simulation that examined the effects of uncoordinated roll-lateral motion cues from a coordinated math model was conducted. The vehicle model represented a typical helicopter with satisfactory handling qualities in the roll-lateral axes. The task was a two-degree-of-freedom horizontal sidestep, where the pilot controlled lateral position through roll angle. The motion platform commands were varied via two motion control system gains. One gain reduced the ratio between platform roll angle to math model (and thus visual) roll angle. The other gain was placed on how much lateral platform movement would result from platform roll attitude in an attempt to align the apparent gravity vector vertically relative to the pilot. Gains from one to zero were examined in both axes. Thus, the true 1:1 motion case, where the motion cues matched the visual cues was evaluated. Pilots subjective ratings of motion fidelity matched well against an earlier developed motion fidelity criteria. Significant differences were noted in the fixed-base versus motion base configurations.

Schroeder, Jeffery A.↗

HERO WEC Belt Test Data

The following submission includes raw and processed data from the 2024 Hydraulic and Electric Reverse Osmosis Wave Energy Converter (HERO WEC) belt tests conducted using NREL's Large Amplitude Motion Platform (LAMP). A description of the motion profiles run during testing can be found in the run log document. Data was collected using NREL's Modular Ocean Data AcQuisition (MODAQ) system in the form of TDMS files. Data was then processed using Python and MATLAB and converted to MATLAB workspace, parquet, and csv file formats. During Data processing, a low pass filter was applied to each array and the arrays were then resampled to common 10Hz timestamps. A MATLAB data viewer script is provided to quickly visualize these data sets. The following arrays are contained in each test data file: - Time: Unix seconds timestamp - Test_Time: Time in seconds since beginning of test - POS_OS_1001: Encoder position in degrees (the encoder is located on the secondary shaft of the spring return and is driven by the winch after a 4.5:1 gear reduction) - LC_ST_1001: Anchor load cell data in lbf - PRESS_OS_2002: Air spring pressure in psi This data set has been developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, operated by Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) under Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308. Funding provided by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Water Power Technologies Office.

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER↗

Yaw Motion Cues in Helicopter Simulation

A piloted simulation that examined the effects of yaw motion cues on pilot-vehicle performance, pilot workload, and pilot motion perception was conducted on the NASA Ames Vertical Motion Simulator. The vehicle model that was used represented an AH-64 helicopter. Three tasks were performed in which only combinations of vehicle yaw and vertical displacement were allowed. The commands issued to the motion platform were modified to present the following four motion configurations for a pilot located forward of the center of rotation: (1) only the linear translations, (2) only the angular rotation, (3) both the linear translations and the angular rotation, and (4) no motion. The objective data indicated that pilot-vehicle performance was reduced and the necessary control activity increased when linear motion was removed; however, the lack of angular rotation did not result in a measured degradation for almost all cases. Also, pilots provided subjective assessments of their compensation required, the motion fidelity, and their judgment of whether or not linear or rotational cockpit motion was present. Ratings of compensation and fidelity were affected only by linear acceleration, and the rotational motion had no significant impact. Also, when only linear motion was present, pilots typically reported the presence of rotation. Thus, linear acceleration cues, not yaw rotational cues, appear necessary to simulate hovering flight.

Schroeder, Jeffrey A.↗