Tactile Instrument for Aviation

You are here: Homepage > Search

Tactile Instrument for Aviation

B. J. McGrath

Spatial disorientation and the subsequent loss of situation awareness account for a significant percentage of fatal mishaps in aviation. In the aviation environment, the vestibular and somatosensory sensations currently do not provide accurate orientation information. The only reliable source of orientation is vision; when this information is compromised, disorientation occurs. The Tactile Situation Awareness System (TSAS) is an advanced flight instrument that uses the sensory channel of touch to provide situation awareness information to pilots above and beyond visual cues. The TSAS system accepts data from various aircraft sensors and presents this information via tactile stimulators or 'tactors' integrated into flight garments. TSAS has the capability of presenting a variety of flight parameter information, including attitude, altitude, velocity, navigation, acceleration, threat location, and / or target location. This report documents a series of flight demonstrations in various aircraft conducted to demonstrate the capabilities of the TSAS systems during flight operations. TSAS, integrated with visual displays and audio systems into a synergistic situation awareness instrument, represents the basis for the next generation human-machine interface for military and commercial aircraft.