Mixed Reality for Helicopter Pilot Training
Today VR (Virtual Reality) is used in many applications and is becoming a reference for training. The recent EASA qualification of the first VR Trainer is an important step to promote this technology and modernize FSTD (Flight Simulation Training Device) current definition.
VR technology is progressing very quickly, and we can find today on the market very performant VR Goggles which provide new capabilities such as Mixed Reality by integrating front cameras and even gaze tracking solutions.
Today current VR pilot trainers are well adapted to single pilot light helicopters and are a perfect answer to the expectations of the EASA Rotorcraft Safety Roadmap, but is not really adapted to new generation of helicopters integrating complex avionic systems and touchscreens.
Mixed Reality appears today the best solution to solve these limitations by merging real views of cockpit instruments in the full virtual environment and allowing pilot cockpit interaction as in the real life. Nevertheless, new technologies do not supersede the need to have a good level of fidelity of the helicopter simulation and of all avionic systems which are more and more complex today.
Combining High Fidelity simulation and Mixed Reality is probably the best solution for future pilot training, and new technologies such as gaze tracking will also open the door to additional capacities for CBTA (Competency Based Training Assessment) and Human factors analysis.