Vehicle and Aircraft Research Simulation Laboratory

• Investigates variety of driver-vehicle interaction issues
• Two closed-loop simulators are used to mimic class-8 trucks and standard automobiles
• iGATE Simulator: iGATE flight simulator used to simulate various GA aircraft The flight simulator housed in the Vehicle Simulation Laboratory is the i-GATE PC-ATD (integrated General Aviation Training Environment, personal computer aviation training device), which has been certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for IFR (instrument flight rules) training. A pilot can actually earn flight hours using the i-GATE provided a certified flight instructor (CFI) is present. The i-GATE is a technically advanced digital training system designed around the widely used ELITE (ELectronic IFR Training Environment) software and what is called the 'smart' panel, manufactured by ModWorks, Inc. The panel design was a result of a NASA sponsored scientific research study of human factors and optimum ergonomics for personal and professional use. The same panel is actually being used today in many high-performance general aviation (GA) aircraft. All instruments, as well as the outside view from the aircraft, are rendered on the smart panel. The i-GATE has the desirable ability to be configured for various testing conditions (such as weather, glideslope, or system failures) as well as various GA aircraft (e.g., Cessna, Piper, Mooney, Bonanza, King Air). The simulator is integrated, meaning that all required digital devices, hardware components, and software interface as an integral part of one system. The data collection system measures and stores flight variables 30 times per second on over 40 variables related to flight. The i-GATE, with its digital components and data collection capabilities, combines all new technologies into a turn-key system resulting in a simulator with state-of-the-art flight dynamics for several types of aircraft as well as other training capabilities at a single training station, one that can be used on a desktop or used in an enclosed cockpit environment. Thus, the i-GATE serves as a useful tool with which to investigate system performance objectives for current and future general aviation regimes in which there is a single operator.

Lab Directors:
John G. Casali, Ph.D., CPE
Brian Kleiner, Ph.D.
Jeffrey A. Lancaster, Ph.D.