Development of a Generic Time-to-Contact Pilot Guidance Model

Lu, L, Jump, M ORCID: 0000-0002-1028-2334 and Padfield, GD (2018) Development of a Generic Time-to-Contact Pilot Guidance Model. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 41 (4). pp. 904-915.

Text G003135_R1.pdf - Author Accepted Manuscript Download (762kB)

Abstract

The time-to-contact τ theory posits that purposeful actions can be conducted by coupling the actor’s motion onto the so-called τ guides generated internally by their central nervous system. Although significant advances have been made in the application of τ for flight control purposes, little research has been conducted to investigate how pilots are able to adapt their τ-guidance strategy to different aircraft dynamics, or how a τ-guide-based pilot–aircraft model might be used to represent control behavior. This paper reports on the development of such a model to characterize the adaptation of pilot guidance to variations in aircraft dynamics using data obtained from a clinical pilot-in-the-loop flight simulation experiment. The results indicate that pilots tend to maintain a constant coupling between the dynamic system’s motion and the τ guide across a range of different configuration parameters. Simultaneously, the pilot modulates the guidance maneuver period to adapt to these different aircraft dynamics that result in changes in workload. Modeling the complete pilot stabilization and guidance function as a regulator plus inverter yields good comparative results between the pilot–aircraft model and simulator trajectory data, and it supports the hypothesis that the following τ-based guidance strategies suppress an aircraft’s natural dynamics.

Item Type:	Article
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	15 Sep 2017 14:01
Last Modified:	19 Jan 2023 06:54
DOI:	10.2514/1.G003135
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3009483