Abstract:
Spatial disorientation (SD) and the subsequent loss of situation awareness (SA) remain critical for low-level helicopter flight in degraded visual environments (DVE). In modern helicopter cockpits, synthetic vision systems (SVSs) employing conventional non-conformal two-dimensional (2D), egocentric three-dimensional (3D) conformal symbology (CS) and LADAR/RADAR imagery support guidance and control, especially during operations in DVE. Although 3D CS can decrease pilot's workload, it can also produce attentional tunneling and may not provide maximally effective depiction of the environment around the helicopter. In this context, it is crucial to develop integrated multimodal interfaces that allow extending the current operational envelope while enhancing flight safety. Several flight simulator studies have investigated the use of spatial, 3D auditory displays in combination with spatially and temporally congruent visual displays in tasks as diverse as collision avoidance, intruding aircraft detection, or warning for system malfunction. In this paper we propose a novel approach to spatial sonification design based on the premises that perception-based synthetic cueing, where the information can be accessed, selected, processed and reacted to intuitively can increase SA, improve overall performance, and allow mental workload to be kept at operationally effective levels. This paper describes the architecture and application suite of the Aviation Auditory Display Engine (AvADE) and the slab3d rendering engine and its use for the development of Augmented-Reality (AR) spatial sonifications for obstacle avoidance in the existing USAARL integrated cueing environment (ICE). Nine UH60M pilots evaluated the prototype in a 20-minute low-level free flight mission over a desert compound. The results are discussed in the context of pilot cueing synergies for DVE.