Periodic Reporting for period 2 - EFAICTS (Ergonomic impact and new Functions induced by Active Inceptor integration in CockpiTS)
Période du rapport: 2020-06-01 au 2022-05-31
Objectives:
The Objective of the project was to develop an innovative Cockpit control system with the integration of smart & Active Inceptors. Active Side Sticks Units (ASSU) can reduce cost, and when coupled to Fly-By-Wire systems, can provide intuitive tactile cueing in the cockpit — all resulting in increased situational awareness, safety and improved performance. This new technology is a key element to future “smarter aircraft”.
One advantage, in dual pilot configurations, is the capability to electronically link active sticks enabling the coupling of the motions of the left-seat and right-seat controllers. ASSU can also provide to crew, back driven feedbacks based on the aircraft’s/Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) actions, significantly improving the level of safety, making clear the AFCS control inputs and allowing prompt recovery actions.
The work proposed in EFAICTS addressed the benefits brought by active inceptors, in terms of safety and performance, through the
• Development of optimised coupling functions and intuitive haptic functions for both Pilot/Copilot and Crew/Autopilot interactions;
• Validation of the functions through modelling and evaluation on a simulation bench.
The solutions developed were integrated on the ONERA simulator “PycsHel” and evaluated through final assessments.
EFAICTS project focused on a Tiltrotor, associating two flight modes. The solutions proposed would be transposable to rotary and fixed wing domains.
The EFAICTS project, started in December 2018, received funding from the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 820884. ONERA was the project coordinator and Safran Electronics & Defense the Topic Leader. EFAICTS project, with a total duration of 42 months, ended the 31st May 2022.
A large number of haptic functions, coupling mode or logics were developed thanks to more than 430 hours of discussions and meetings, continuous assessments and final evaluations through 14 simulator trials, involving 10 very experienced pilots.
In most of the cases, the proposed solutions bring to situational awareness, safety and crew coordination improvement and the decrease of pilots workload.
The Objective of the project was to develop an innovative Cockpit control system with the integration of smart & Active Inceptors. Active Side Sticks Units (ASSU) can reduce cost, and when coupled to Fly-By-Wire systems, can provide intuitive tactile cueing in the cockpit — all resulting in increased situational awareness, safety and improved performance. This new technology is a key element to future “smarter aircraft”.
One advantage, in dual pilot configurations, is the capability to electronically link active sticks enabling the coupling of the motions of the left-seat and right-seat controllers. ASSU can also provide to crew, back driven feedbacks based on the aircraft’s/Automatic Flight Control System (AFCS) actions, significantly improving the level of safety, making clear the AFCS control inputs and allowing prompt recovery actions.
The work proposed in EFAICTS addressed the benefits brought by active inceptors, in terms of safety and performance, through the
• Development of optimised coupling functions and intuitive haptic functions for both Pilot/Copilot and Crew/Autopilot interactions;
• Validation of the functions through modelling and evaluation on a simulation bench.
The solutions developed were integrated on the ONERA simulator “PycsHel” and evaluated through final assessments.
EFAICTS project focused on a Tiltrotor, associating two flight modes. The solutions proposed would be transposable to rotary and fixed wing domains.
The EFAICTS project, started in December 2018, received funding from the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 820884. ONERA was the project coordinator and Safran Electronics & Defense the Topic Leader. EFAICTS project, with a total duration of 42 months, ended the 31st May 2022.
A large number of haptic functions, coupling mode or logics were developed thanks to more than 430 hours of discussions and meetings, continuous assessments and final evaluations through 14 simulator trials, involving 10 very experienced pilots.
In most of the cases, the proposed solutions bring to situational awareness, safety and crew coordination improvement and the decrease of pilots workload.
Summary of the main achievements during the project:
Tools/simulation environment:
• A large number of auto-pilot modes and flight control laws has been developed, implemented in ONERA’s simulator and continuously improved during the project.
• An ASSU management module has been implemented in ONERA’s simulator and also continuously improved.
• An off-line simulation tool has been developped and used, allowing the development of the Flight Control System and the ASSU management module.
• A major dual cockpit configuration upgrade of the simulator has been done (Figure 2).
Flight scenarios definition:
DGA-EV, the French Flight Test Center, part of the France’s defense procurement agency (DGA), was selected as subcontractor. Flight test pilots and test engineers were deeply involved in the project, contributing to the definition of the four scenarios that were evaluated.
Definition of interaction modes:
Interaction modes were discussed with pilots and different options and solutions have been defined, concerning coupling logics (between side-sticks), controls to send to Flight Control System (communication between sticks and FCS), Back-Drive logics (in order to move the sticks when auto-pilot is active).
Specification and development of haptic feedback and ergonomic requirements:
The ASSU management module, enabling the generation of the different haptic feedbacks on sticks, has been continuously improved and implemented in off-line and real-time simulation environments. In addition, Flight Envelope Protection functions have been designed, implemented, and matured.
Evaluation of haptic feedbacks and ergonomic recommendations:
The final evaluations were done with a total of 10 very experienced pilots (helicopter/airliner/private pilots), with 14 simulator trials, corresponding to around 50 hours.
Figure 3 summarizes the main works, contributions and innovations brought by EFAICTS.
Dissemination & communication activities:
Two conference papers were presented:
• “Versatile offline simulation tool for systems design”, ERF annual Forum, 7th-10th September2021 in UK (Glasgow - virtual)
• “Development and Evaluation of Coupling Modes and Haptic Functions enabled by Active Inceptor in Cockpits”, VFS annual Forum, 9th-13th May 2022 in USA, Forth-Worth, Texas.
These papers are available on the EFAICTS data repository: https://zenodo.org/communities/h2020-efaictsproject/
Presentations:
Presentations of the project were done during simulator/ONERA visits (to industry (Airbus Helicopters), DGAC (French Civil Aviation Authority), DGA (French defense procurement agency), military people, etc.), and at annual “Joint Review Meetings” organized by Airbus Helicopter France/Germany, DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) and ONERA.
Courses/Trainings:
Project and active inceptor technology descriptions have been integrated in courses given by ONERA people at the Aix-Marseille University Institute of Technology and Aix-Marseille University.
Presentation and workshop are done at EPNER (École du personnel navigant d’essais et de réception - the French test pilot/Engineer school) to present ASSU technology, EFAICTS project outcomes and system prototype demonstration in simulation environment.
The knowledge gained from the project will be incorporated into future trainings and educational courses.
ONERA will continue to use ASSU as flight controls in its simulator. This will contribute to mature the functions and all developments performed during the EFAICTS project in the framework of existing or future aircraft configurations or missions.
Discussions have been initiated, and will continue, for prototype demonstration in an operational environment.
Tools/simulation environment:
• A large number of auto-pilot modes and flight control laws has been developed, implemented in ONERA’s simulator and continuously improved during the project.
• An ASSU management module has been implemented in ONERA’s simulator and also continuously improved.
• An off-line simulation tool has been developped and used, allowing the development of the Flight Control System and the ASSU management module.
• A major dual cockpit configuration upgrade of the simulator has been done (Figure 2).
Flight scenarios definition:
DGA-EV, the French Flight Test Center, part of the France’s defense procurement agency (DGA), was selected as subcontractor. Flight test pilots and test engineers were deeply involved in the project, contributing to the definition of the four scenarios that were evaluated.
Definition of interaction modes:
Interaction modes were discussed with pilots and different options and solutions have been defined, concerning coupling logics (between side-sticks), controls to send to Flight Control System (communication between sticks and FCS), Back-Drive logics (in order to move the sticks when auto-pilot is active).
Specification and development of haptic feedback and ergonomic requirements:
The ASSU management module, enabling the generation of the different haptic feedbacks on sticks, has been continuously improved and implemented in off-line and real-time simulation environments. In addition, Flight Envelope Protection functions have been designed, implemented, and matured.
Evaluation of haptic feedbacks and ergonomic recommendations:
The final evaluations were done with a total of 10 very experienced pilots (helicopter/airliner/private pilots), with 14 simulator trials, corresponding to around 50 hours.
Figure 3 summarizes the main works, contributions and innovations brought by EFAICTS.
Dissemination & communication activities:
Two conference papers were presented:
• “Versatile offline simulation tool for systems design”, ERF annual Forum, 7th-10th September2021 in UK (Glasgow - virtual)
• “Development and Evaluation of Coupling Modes and Haptic Functions enabled by Active Inceptor in Cockpits”, VFS annual Forum, 9th-13th May 2022 in USA, Forth-Worth, Texas.
These papers are available on the EFAICTS data repository: https://zenodo.org/communities/h2020-efaictsproject/
Presentations:
Presentations of the project were done during simulator/ONERA visits (to industry (Airbus Helicopters), DGAC (French Civil Aviation Authority), DGA (French defense procurement agency), military people, etc.), and at annual “Joint Review Meetings” organized by Airbus Helicopter France/Germany, DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) and ONERA.
Courses/Trainings:
Project and active inceptor technology descriptions have been integrated in courses given by ONERA people at the Aix-Marseille University Institute of Technology and Aix-Marseille University.
Presentation and workshop are done at EPNER (École du personnel navigant d’essais et de réception - the French test pilot/Engineer school) to present ASSU technology, EFAICTS project outcomes and system prototype demonstration in simulation environment.
The knowledge gained from the project will be incorporated into future trainings and educational courses.
ONERA will continue to use ASSU as flight controls in its simulator. This will contribute to mature the functions and all developments performed during the EFAICTS project in the framework of existing or future aircraft configurations or missions.
Discussions have been initiated, and will continue, for prototype demonstration in an operational environment.
EFAICTS activities, developments and results obtained contributed to the following expected impacts:
EFAICTS has been a great opportunity to study dual pilot operations and how active inceptors using haptic feedback have to be used in such a situation.
The main results for ONERA are:
• Gain of experience and knowledge on haptic cueing and on dual pilot operations;
• Validation and “industrial” use of previously developed models and tools for off-line computations;
• Improvement of simulation means.
If a specific tilt-rotor model was developed and integrated in the simulator, the Active Inceptor System (module managing the ASSUs) and the Flight Control System were developed to be used for other aircraft configurations.
These modules are already used at ONERA for helicopter models. In the near future, it is planned to integrate UAM aircraft in the simulator and used the EFAICTS developments for these future studies.
The main results from EFAICTS project are situational awareness improvements, crew coordination/mutual understanding, workload reduction and better performances.
EFAICTS solutions, providing functions and haptic feedbacks to increase crew coordination, should contribute to improve monitoring/cross-checking and leadership. Thus, all these benefits should result in the transport safety improvement.
More generally, participating to such a Clean Sky 2 project is a showcase for public organization to promote ONERA’s know-how, not only in France but all around Europe, and world.
EFAICTS has been a great opportunity to study dual pilot operations and how active inceptors using haptic feedback have to be used in such a situation.
The main results for ONERA are:
• Gain of experience and knowledge on haptic cueing and on dual pilot operations;
• Validation and “industrial” use of previously developed models and tools for off-line computations;
• Improvement of simulation means.
If a specific tilt-rotor model was developed and integrated in the simulator, the Active Inceptor System (module managing the ASSUs) and the Flight Control System were developed to be used for other aircraft configurations.
These modules are already used at ONERA for helicopter models. In the near future, it is planned to integrate UAM aircraft in the simulator and used the EFAICTS developments for these future studies.
The main results from EFAICTS project are situational awareness improvements, crew coordination/mutual understanding, workload reduction and better performances.
EFAICTS solutions, providing functions and haptic feedbacks to increase crew coordination, should contribute to improve monitoring/cross-checking and leadership. Thus, all these benefits should result in the transport safety improvement.
More generally, participating to such a Clean Sky 2 project is a showcase for public organization to promote ONERA’s know-how, not only in France but all around Europe, and world.