TRAINING EFFECTIVENESS

Cost-Effective Motion Cues
The ACME DMS is a cost effective method of providing motion cues to a pilot or other vehicle operator. The seat accurately simulates the inertial cues experienced in the opreational equipment whether it be an aircraft or other platform. Motion cues are important because they add the realism necessary for the operator to respond more realistically. The pilot first receives cues through the tactile and proprioceptive sensors which precede the information received from the visual scene. In very stable platforms, the need for motion maybe minimal. However, in dynamic platforms, prompt attention is necessary for the operator to maintain control and motion becomes more contributory to the training. Researchers have drawn a distinction between disturbance cues ( system failures or external environmental effects ) and maneuver cues ( controlling the aircraft or other platform ). When there is discontinuity between the visual scene and what the operator is feeling on his/her body, the overall effects can be disturbing.

The Value of Motion
The value of motion has been recognized and accepted in commercial aviation where the FAA requires motion in flight simulators. Experience has shown that motion is training effective.The military is also a user of motion systems in various flight simulators, especially helicopter training. Generally, the consensus within the military is that motion contributes to training effectiveness where there are high onset cues ( helicopters ) or systems having significant asymmetric thrust ( transport aircraft ). Some high performance aircraft simulators use "g" seats and "g" suits to create the dynamic cues.

ACME DMS offers a low cost solution to providing motion realism to any kind of vehicle simulation.

The DMS will prove to be of value in training operators or crews in moving vehicle simulators. Platforms that could benefit include fixed and rotary wing aircraft simulators; land vehicle simulators such as tanks, fighting vehicles, truck and transport vehicles, operating singly or in convoys; surface vessels such as the Landing Craft Air Cushion Vehicle and small boats operating in brown water; delivery systems for special operations forces. DMS can add the extra dimension to achieve realism and gain operator acceptance.

Ground Vehicles

Imagine the Humvee as a part of a convoy rumbling along an unimproved road, turning sharply onto more rugged terrain to avoid an enemy roadblock. You can feel the vibration through the shock absorbers and the inertia of the sharp turn. With contaminants in the fuel line, the hesitation of the engine ripples through your body. The vehicle jerks-and so do you. The DMS provides these cues.The same road vibration is felt in a truck simulator as well as blown tire effects. Collisions and other impact events are emulated more realistically. We have found that the DMS could provide more effective training in the locomotive simulator. DMS would add in the physical simulation of simple effects such as traversing over railroad track gaps, responding to emergency situations when braking is necessary, engaging additional cars, maneuvering to freight siding and docks. " Bumping " and " humping " requires physical cues to render the simulation realistic.

Aircraft

For rotorcraft and other aircraft, the vibration of the simulator corresponds to that of the aircraft. Changes in any direction are felt through " seat-of-the pants forces ". Rolling down the runway we experience the bumps or rumble of our tires rolling over the separations in the concrete. Onset cues in takeoff and landing are especially pronounced and provided through the action of the DMS, responding to aircraft controls. Rough air turbulence causes aircraft buffeting and vibration. This includes windshear effects. If we experience engine failures, introduced by the instructor, we will feel the effects through our seat. Moving the flaps up and down, throttle setting changes, landing gear up or down, runway bump, speed brake extension, applying the brakes and thrust reversers are all simulated. If we are under fire, simulating combat conditions, and take a hit, the DMS transmits the effects of the explosion to the crew members. Engine failure and autorotation are similarly felt by the trainees through the DMS. The " thump" of a compressor stall is an immediate " attention-getter " to the pilot and crew, causing them to take immediate action.

Watercraft

Surface and subsurface trainers can benefit from the DMS. For example, operators of small craft are ever cognizant of wave action and anticipate forces on their body due to crossing waves in any direction. Force vectors on the body must coincide with the conditions displayed in the visual scene. Maneuvers of riverine boats and other small craft are influenced to a large extent by wave and wind conditions. The DMS provides the operator with the same movements corresponding to what he views out the window, enabling him to accept the simulation as " reality " and enables him to make quick decisions. Maneuvering an LCAC is not a trivial task because it is half boat and half airplane. Landing the craft in a strong surf, for example, requires quick responses that take into account the sea state, wind, surf strength and, at times, tidal actions. DMS replicates those conditions on a real-time basis, providing sufficient cues for the pilot to maneuver safely and effectively.

ACME DMS offers a low cost solution to providing motion realism to any kind of vehicle simulation.