Effects of Grid Cell Size in Altitude Control in an Augmented Reality Terrain Display

Abstract

Helicopter pilot performance in degraded visual conditions may be improved through sensor fusion and an augmented reality display. A simulator experiment with 12 participants was done to test the effect of synthetic terrain grid cell size and helicopter heave dynamics on task performance and control behaviour in a terrain-following hill-climb task. An increase in grid cell size lowered task performance and increased control activity due to reduced optical information. Slower heave dynamics decreased task performance and led to a more prospective control strategy. It was concluded that an effective AR terrain display for altitude control can be designed independently from the vehicle dynamics.