Human variability in self-altitude perception is well known, but the effect of night vision devices (NVDs) that provide a degraded visual image is unknown. Thirteen Army aviators with normal vision flew five flights (day, day- 40 degrees field-of-view (FOV), night vision goggle (NVG), NVG-right tube only, and Pilot's Night Vision Sensor (PNVS), a monocular thermal sensor) in a modified AH-1 Cobra helicopter. Subjects estimated their altitude or flew to specified altitude while flying a series of maneuvers. The results showed that the subjects were better at detecting and controlling changes in altitude (relative altitude estimation) than they were at flying to or naming a specific altitude (absolute altitude estimation). In cruise flight and descent, the subjects tended to fly above the desired altitude (underestimation), an error in the safe direction. While hovering, the direction of error was less predictable. In the low-level cruise flight scenario tested in this study, altitude control was affected more by changes in image resolution than by changes in FOV or ocularity. In hovering flight, altitude control was the worst while using the PNVS. This may be due to degraded image resolution, specific thermal image characteristics, or physical peculiarities of the PNVS system (continued).


    Access

    Access via TIB

    Check availability in my library


    Export, share and cite



    Title :

    Helicopter Pilot Estimation of Self-Altitude in a Degraded Visual Environment


    Contributors:
    J. Crowley (author) / L. Haworth (author) / Z. Szoboszlay (author) / A. Lee (author)

    Publication date :

    2000


    Size :

    53 pages


    Type of media :

    Report


    Type of material :

    No indication


    Language :

    English




    Helicopter pilot estimation of self-altitude in a degraded visual environment

    Crowley, John S. / Haworth, Loran A. / Szoboszlay, Zoltan P. et al. | SPIE | 2000


    Helicopter pilot estimation of self-altitude in a degraded visual environment [4021-33]

    Crowley, J. S. / Haworth, L. A. / Szoboszlay, Z. P. et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2000


    Investigation and evaluation of a helicopter pilot assistance system for offshore missions in degraded visual environment

    Martini, Tanja / Mevenkamp, Phillipp / Peinecke, Niklas et al. | British Library Conference Proceedings | 2022