Tactile Cues for Orienting Pilots During Hover Over Moving Targets

Previous studies have shown that vibrotactile displays improve aircraft control, increase pilot situation awareness, and reduce pilot workload. This study further evaluated the effectiveness of a tactile cuing system for helicopter pilots during a simulated hover maneuver over a moving target. The efficacy of cues provided by the tactile system was assessed under various conditions, including sleep deprivation and a degraded visual environment. Sixteen UH-60 rated, healthy aviators completed 8 sessions of hovering maneuvers in a UH-60 flight simulator. The pilots were able to stay closer to the target and rated their situation awareness as greater when the tactile cuing system was active vs. when it was inactive. These findings support the use of a tactile system as an effective device to provide directional cues in order to maintain or improve pilot performance during a hover maneuver over a dynamic target.