NASA will simulate vision, noise and seat movement in a flying car – 07/03/2023 – Market

NASA, the US space agency, said its researchers at the Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, Calif., are building a custom virtual reality flight simulator to explore how passengers will feel on a trip in the new electric take-off and landing aircraft. vertically (eVTOL, the “flying cars”).

NASA is currently researching the human physiological response to motion, vibration, noise and visual stimuli that passengers may experience during an air taxi flight, and the new simulator is an important part of that effort.

It includes virtual reality goggles that portray the cabin of an eVTOL aircraft and the city environment seen through the windows, as well as on-board noise and seat movement, to simulate flying an air taxi.

The agency says it will make the data collected from the simulator available to industry and other stakeholders to help shape the design of electric air taxis, where the aircraft will take off and land, and desired flight routes across cities.

Curt Hanson, senior flight controls researcher for this project, said: “In the 1970s, NASA was instrumental in developing passenger trip quality metrics for jet aircraft noise, seat vibration and motion sickness, through of human trials using a unique passenger ride quality simulator located at the Langley Research Center. Now, the Armstrong Flight Research Center is taking this technology into the 21st century.”

During the experiments, those involved will be strapped into the seat atop a platform, which can move in six axes to realistically simulate movement in an aircraft, and tests will measure their level of discomfort. They will use a virtual reality headset and headphones to create a fully immersive experience.

As each subject virtually flies around a projected scene in downtown San Francisco, they will be asked to indicate any time they feel uncomfortable pressing a handheld button. These discomfort signals can later be correlated with recorded visual and movement stimuli, as well as physiological measurements such as heart rate and respiratory rate.

Based on the results of these experiments, NASA researchers will be able to provide guidance on aircraft design elements such as seat placement and window size, as well as where the aircraft will take off, land and fly.

This information will help industry and government make informed decisions to ensure a positive experience for future users of eVTOL aircraft.