Synthetic Vision: Application Areas, Rationale, Implementation, and Results

Synthetic vision is regarded as a means to increase both safety and operational capabilities. The design of a synthetic vision system presents the designer with questions regarding which data need to be presented, how the data should be represented, and how the representation should be mapped onto the display. A prototype synthetic vision system was designed and iteratively refined. This article discusses how the results from research into spatial displays have been used to understand the design options and resulted in the choices made. Also, an overview of the flight tests, their specific goals, and the main results is presented.

[1]  David H. Weir,et al.  A Pilot-Vehicle Systems Approach to Longitudinal Flight Director Design , 1971 .

[2]  S. G. Lachmann,et al.  Software engineering of a navigation and guidance system for commercial aircraft , 1975 .

[3]  Richard Jensen The Effects of Prediction, Quickening, Frequency Separation, and Percent of Pursuit in Perspective Displays for Low-Visibility Landing , 1978 .

[4]  J. J. Hatfield,et al.  Evaluation of a computer-generated perspective tunnel display for flight path following , 1980 .

[5]  R. S. Bray,et al.  A head-up display format for transport aircraft approach and landing , 1981 .

[6]  J. G. Hollands,et al.  Engineering Psychology and Human Performance , 1984 .

[7]  S R Ellis,et al.  The Effect of Perspective Geometry on Judged Direction in Spatial Information Instruments , 1986, Human factors.

[8]  Charles E. Knox Flying Complex Approach Paths Using the microwave Landing System , 1986 .

[9]  Walter W. Johnson,et al.  The visual control of simulated altitude , 1987 .

[10]  C.D. Wickens,et al.  Ergonomic design for perspective flight-path displays , 1989, IEEE Control Systems Magazine.

[11]  Mary Anne Buttigieg,et al.  Emergent Features in Visual Display Design for Two Types of Failure Detection Tasks , 1991, Human factors.

[12]  Delmar M. Fadden,et al.  Spatial displays as a means to increase pilot situational awareness , 1991 .

[13]  Albert J. Ahumada,et al.  Sensor fusion for synthetic vision , 1991 .

[14]  Randall L. Harris,et al.  Piloted Studies of Enhanced or Synthetic Vision Display Parameters , 1992 .

[15]  C. R. Oshima,et al.  Effects of scene content and horizon on glideslope control , 1992, [Proceedings] 1992 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics.

[16]  Albert J. Ahumada,et al.  Engineering a visual system for seeing through fog , 1992 .

[17]  R. John Hansman,et al.  Part-Task Simulator Evaluations of Advanced Terrain Displays , 1993 .

[18]  Lawrence L Ames,et al.  Revision and Verification of a Seven-Point Workload Estimate Scale , 1993 .

[19]  R. D. Hayes,et al.  Synthetic Vision-a view in the fog , 1993 .

[20]  G Sachs,et al.  Synthetic vision flight tests for precision approach and landing , 1995 .

[21]  E Theunissen INFLUENCE OF ERROR GAIN AND POSITION PREDICTION ON TRACKING PERFORMANCE AND CONTROL ACTIVITY WITH PERSPECTIVE FLIGHT PATH DISPLAYS. , 1995 .

[22]  Arthur J. Grunwald,et al.  Improved tunnel display for curved trajectory following - Control considerations , 1996 .

[23]  Andrew K. Barrows,et al.  Flying Curved Approaches and Missed Approaches: 3-D Display Trials Onboard a Light Aircraft , 1996 .

[24]  E. Theunissen Integrated design of a man-machine interface for 4-D navigation , 1997 .

[25]  Michael P. Snow,et al.  EFFECT OF PATHWAY-IN-THE-SKY AND SYNTHETIC TERRAIN IMAGERY ON SITUATION AWARENESS IN A SIMULATED LOW-LEVEL INGRESS SCENARIO , 1999 .

[26]  Sion Jennings,et al.  Enhanced/Synthetic Vision Systems for Search and Rescue Operations , 1999 .

[27]  E. Theunissen,et al.  Spatially Integrated Depiction of Dynamic Trajectories , 2001 .

[28]  Aeroflightdynamics Directorate,et al.  AIAA 2001-4307 Runway Texture and Grid Pattern Effects on Rate-of-Descent Perception , 2001 .

[29]  Richard M. Rademaker,et al.  Synthetic vision: a prototype display concept for commercial aircraft , 2002 .

[30]  V Parrish Russell,et al.  Spatial Awareness Comparisons Between Large-Screen, Integrated Pictorial Displays and Conventional EFIS Displays During Simulated Landing Approaches , 2003 .

[31]  Timothy J. Etherington,et al.  Terminal area operations with enhanced and synthetic vision: experience in the Boeing technology demonstrator , 2003, SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing.

[32]  K. Lemos,et al.  Synthetic vision systems: human performance assessment of the influence of terrain density and texture , 2003, Digital Avionics Systems Conference, 2003. DASC '03. The 22nd.

[33]  L. J. Glaab,et al.  Terrain portrayal for read-down displays flight test , 2003, Digital Avionics Systems Conference, 2003. DASC '03. The 22nd.

[34]  Integration of Human Factors Aspects in the Design of Spatial Navigation Displays , 2003 .

[35]  Erik Theunissen,et al.  Integration of information in synthetic vision displays: why, to what extent, and how? , 2004 .

[36]  Jarvis J. Arthur,et al.  The Efficacy of Head-Down and Head-Up Synthetic Vision Display Concepts for Retro- and Forward-Fit of Commercial Aircraft , 2004 .

[37]  G.J.M. Koeners,et al.  Integration of imaging sensor data into a synthetic vision display , 2004, The 23rd Digital Avionics Systems Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37576).

[38]  L.J. Glaab,et al.  Interaction between various terrain portrayals and guidance/tunnel symbology concepts for general aviation synthetic vision displays during a low en-route scenario , 2004, The 23rd Digital Avionics Systems Conference (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37576).

[39]  Christopher D. Wickens,et al.  Synthetic Vision Systems: The Effects of Guidance Symbology, Display Size, and Field of View , 2005, Hum. Factors.

[40]  G.J.M. Koeners,et al.  Terrain following and terrain avoidance with synthetic vision , 2005, 24th Digital Avionics Systems Conference.

[41]  E. Theunissen,et al.  A display concept for UAV autoland monitoring: rationale, design and evaluation , 2007, 2007 IEEE/AIAA 26th Digital Avionics Systems Conference.

[42]  Amy L. Alexander,et al.  Attentional Tunneling and Task Management in Synthetic Vision Displays , 2009 .