Wayne Ringelberg, a test pilot at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, recently underwent a series of test rides in the new simulator. These initial tests are crucial for refining the simulator before it is used in a research study later this year.
"This project is leveraging our research and test pilot aircrew with vertical lift experience to validate the safety and accuracy of the lab in preparation for test subject evaluations," said Ringelberg. "The experiments in the ride quality lab will inform the advanced air mobility community about the acceptability of the motions these aircraft could make, so the general public is more likely to adopt the new technology."
Ringelberg's evaluation involved a simulated air taxi ride starting from a conceptual vertiport on a downtown San Francisco parking garage. The ride, crafted by NASA engineers, took him through the city and landed on a skyscraper vertiport. Wearing a virtual reality headset and headphones, Ringelberg assessed the simulation's visual, motion, and audio accuracy, providing feedback to the research team.
Following these pilot evaluations, NASA researchers will launch a series of human subject studies over the next four years. These studies aim to understand what factors contribute to a comfortable and enjoyable air taxi experience for passengers.
The simulator is a key feature of NASA Armstrong's virtual reality passenger ride quality laboratory, which combines virtual reality visuals, physical motion cues, and spatialized rotor sounds to create a realistic air taxi passenger experience.
This project is managed by the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology project under NASA's Advanced Air Vehicles Program. It supports NASA's Advanced Air Mobility mission, which aims to provide data to guide the development of electric air taxis and drones.
Related Links
Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology
Aerospace News at SpaceMart.com
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
| Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters |
