Fused Reality for Enhanced Flight Test Capabilities

In terms of relevancy to piloted evaluation, there remains no substitute for actual flight tests even when considering the fidelity and effectiveness of modern ground-based simulators. In addition to real world cueing, flight test provides subtle but key intangibles that cannot be duplicated in a ground-based simulator. There is, however, a cost to be paid for the benefits of flight in terms of budget, mission complexity, and safety. New technologies and test procedures are therefore needed to maximize the investments and reduce some of the related costs associated with flight test. To address this need, Systems Technology, Inc. is developing a Fused Reality (FR) Flight system that allows a virtual environment to be integrated with the test aircraft so that tasks such as aerial refueling, formation flying, or approach and landing can be accomplished without additional aircraft or risk of operating in close proximity to the ground or other aircraft. Furthermore, for the first time, the dynamic motions of the simulated objects can be directly correlated with the responses of the test aircraft. The FR Flight system will allow real-time observation of and manual interaction with the cockpit environment that serves as a frame for the virtual out-the-window scene.

For other government agencies, specifically the DoD, a FR-based flight test system will find new uses in addition to those identified for NASA. These include: engagement of simulated enemy aircraft and/or ground targets, safe in-situ training for somatogravic and other hazardous optical/vestibular illusions, human-in-the-loop accident reconstruction, interaction of test aircraft with unmanned aerial vehicles, mission training and rehearsal, and degraded visibility training such as rotorcraft brownout. For commercial aviation, a FR-based flight test system can be used for up-and-away collision avoidance training, poor visibility approach and landings, runway incursions, etc. Finally, a powerful FR application is in-flight synthetic vision for actual operations during impoverished or uncertain visual environments. Here, the entire cockpit window area can be a virtual HUD where symbology/objects are superimposed on or replace the actual out-of-the-window scene. In this application an intended runway can be highlighted, the precise location of other aircraft can be displayed, etc.

Following the successful completion of a Phase 2 in-flight evaluation program, a prototype FR-based flight test system will be ready to transition into a commercially viable product. The FR system will have potential applications for NASA, other government agencies, and commercial aviation. For NASA this product will directly address the stated need for highly innovative and more efficient flight test techniques. FR will reduce the need for specific aircraft that are costly and often difficult to schedule. Critical flight test evaluation tasks involving other aircraft and related dynamic elements can still be conducted in a safe and repeatable manner.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.