A flight simulator rig utilizing a VR headset has been FAA certified for the primary time.
The rig in query is Loft Dynamics’ simulator for the Airbus Helicopters H125 (previously often known as Eurocopter AS350 Squirrel) helicopter. FAA qualification means US helicopter pilots can now use this simulator to coach and obtain credit score towards official pilot scores. Loft Dynamics’ rig has additionally been EASA licensed since 2021, that means EU pilots can do the identical.
Loft Dynamics says this certification covers coaching for engine failures, irregular and emergency procedures, instrument approaches, in addition to difficult maneuvers similar to sling load operations and pinnacle operations.
The simulator makes use of a Varjo VR-3 headset, which gives retinal decision throughout the central 27° of the sector of view, letting pilots clearly see even the smallest digital cockpit parts. The bodily cockpit it is paired with has all the identical controls as the true helicopter. However not like some newer headset-based simulators, the true cockpit is not seen to the pilot, as this simulator would not use combined actuality. That is apparently as a result of Varjo’s passthrough, accessible on its XR-series headsets, is not depth and scale appropriate and thus would not meet the requirements of regulators.
To trace the pilot’s palms and arms, Loft Dynamics developed its personal pc imaginative and prescient algorithm that makes use of a sequence of cameras positioned above the pilot, together with ArUco markers printed onto the cockpit for calibration.
Loft Dynamics claims this VR-based simulator is each cheaper and smaller than conventional FAA-qualified flight simulators, which use a posh array of giant screens or projectors. These conventional shows additionally lack the stereoscopic 3D you get with VR headsets, which is necessary for depth notion at low altitudes.
Loft Dynamics mentioned it has seen an “unprecedented” improve in demand for VR flight simulators over the previous 12 months now that the know-how has matured sufficient to be aggressive with conventional strategies. It plans to acquire FAA qualification for a wider vary of plane, together with fixed-wing and eVTOLs, sooner or later.
Flight simulators are one more space the place digital and augmented actuality are delivering simulation that approaches the expertise of real-world coaching at only a fraction of the fee.
“This know-how has the ability to assist reverse the pilot scarcity, considerably improve pilot proficiency, and put together the nation for superior air mobility”, mentioned former FAA Administrator Michael Huerta.