Rotorcraft operating in high-threat environments fly close to the earth's surface to utilize surrounding terrain, vegetation, or man-made objects to minimize the risk of being detected by an enemy. The piloting of the rotorcraft is at best a very demanding task and the pilots need help from on-board automation tools in order to devote more time to mission-related activities. The Automated Nap-of-the-Earth (NOE) Flight Program is a cooperative NASA/Army program aimed at the development of technologies for enhancing piloted low-altitude/NOE flight path management and control through computer and sensor aiding. The long-term objective is to work towards achieving automation for aiding the pilot in NOE flight with a flight demonstration of resulting computer/sensor aiding concepts at an established course. The technology for pilot-centered NOE automation is not currently available. Success in automating NOE functions will depend on major breakthroughs in real-time flight path planning algorithms, effective methods for the pilot to interface to the automatic modes, understanding of visual images, sensor data processing/fusion, and sensor development. Our approach to developing the technologies required to solve this problem consist of the following phases: (1) algorithm development, (2) laboratory evaluation, (3) piloted ground simulation, and (4) evaluation in flight. An overview of the research in this area at NASA Ames Research Center is given.
Status of Automatic Guidance Systems for Rotorcraft in Low Altitude Flight
1992
12 pages
Report
No indication
English
Aeronautics , Avionics , Navigation Systems , Human Factors Engineering , Aircraft guidance , Aircraft pilots , Flight paths , Human factors engineering , Nap-of-the-earth navigation , Rotary wing aircraft , Flight plans , Man-computer interface , Real time operation , Trajectory planning , Algorithms , Flight simulation , Flight tests , Low altitude , Terrain
Status of Automatic Guidance Systems for Rotorcraft in Low Altitude Flight
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