Experimental HMI Integration for Flight Tests

Abstract

The German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V.; DLR) operates one of Europe's largest civilian research fleets of airplanes and helicopters. DLR’s department of Flight Operations is responsible for maintaining, providing and deploying these highly modified aircraft. They can either be the object for aeronautics research themselves, or they can be used as platforms on which scientific equipment can be installed for observing the earth’s surface or for atmospheric research. Main topics within the branch of aviation research are flight control and Air Traffic Management including flight guidance. Priorities are set in the areas of operational procedures, technology development and human-centered automation. Therefore, the DLR Institute of Flight Guidance develops and evaluates concepts, solutions and methods for air traffic management, airports and the vicinity of airports. The goal is to improve the efficiency, user friendliness and safety of the air transport system. One aspect of the research of DLR’s institute of flight guidance is the Human Machine Interface (HMI) between the pilot and the aircraft systems. Due to the growing complexity of automation systems and the development of innovative assistance systems, the HMI represents a critical component. The requirements for newly developed systems are the intuitive operation and the premises of not adding workload. In addition, when conducting flight trials with avionics prototypes or testing new procedures, the HMI is very important. Ideally, the HMI provides an overview of the state of the experimental system while assisting the pilot in monitoring the basic aircraft state. Therefore, the institute of flight guidance is conducting HMI research from a human factors viewpoint as well as using HMIs as a tool for enabling efficient and innovative approach procedures. In this briefing, two examples of integrated experimental HMIs for flight trials are presented. In one case, an experimental cockpit display was integrated into an A320 (D-ATRA) of the DLR to provide a possibility to show experimental video signals to the co-pilot on the right hand side of the cockpit. In the other case, a helmet mounted display was used to assist the pilot of a helicopter during difficult approach scenarios. The experimental cockpit display was used to conduct low drag low power approaches and precision curved approaches based on a Ground Based Augmentation System (GBAS). These approaches were flown with different display setups. Some results will be shown in this briefing. In addition, some results from the ALLFlight project, where helmet mounted display symbology was investigated are shown. Furthermore, the modes of operation during flight trials with experimental HMIs are described from a flight safety standpoint. A key element of DLR’s flight test safety concept is the crew composition. Next to the test pilot conducting the trials, a safety pilot monitors the flight parameters, being able to take over control immediately. The next line of defense is the reversion of the test pilot from the experimental HMI to the basic aircraft systems in order to support the safety pilot. These means, together with a structured preparation, including a hazard analysis and risk mitigation procedures, aim for the highest possible level of safety.