TY - JOUR
T1 - What’s Real About Virtual Reality Flight Simulation? Comparing the Fidelity of a Virtual Reality with a Conventional Flight Simulation Environment
AU - Oberhauser, Matthias
AU - Dreyer, Daniel
AU - Braunstingl, Reinhard
AU - Koglbauer, Ioana Victoria
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - With the help of immersive virtual reality technology, novel cockpit systems can be evaluated with pilots in an early design phase. This comparative study investigates the functional fidelity of a virtual reality flight simulator (VRFS) in comparison with a conventional flight simulator. Pilots’ movement time to reach cockpit controls, deviation from the ideal flight path, workload, and simulator sickness are evaluated using an operational scenario. The results show statistically significant differences in heading, altitude, and flight path, as well as delays in operating the controls in virtual reality. Yet, most participants could safely and reliably complete the flight task. For use cases in which adaptations to pace, exposure time, and flight task are acceptable, which is often the case in early phases of the design process, VRFSs can be viable tools for human factors engineering.
AB - With the help of immersive virtual reality technology, novel cockpit systems can be evaluated with pilots in an early design phase. This comparative study investigates the functional fidelity of a virtual reality flight simulator (VRFS) in comparison with a conventional flight simulator. Pilots’ movement time to reach cockpit controls, deviation from the ideal flight path, workload, and simulator sickness are evaluated using an operational scenario. The results show statistically significant differences in heading, altitude, and flight path, as well as delays in operating the controls in virtual reality. Yet, most participants could safely and reliably complete the flight task. For use cases in which adaptations to pace, exposure time, and flight task are acceptable, which is often the case in early phases of the design process, VRFSs can be viable tools for human factors engineering.
KW - Virtual Reality
KW - Flight Simulation
KW - Human Performance
KW - Human Perception
U2 - 10.1027/2192-0923/a000134
DO - 10.1027/2192-0923/a000134
M3 - Article
SN - 2192-0931
VL - 8
SP - 22
EP - 34
JO - Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors
JF - Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors
IS - 1
ER -