The Federal Aviation Administration introduces the VR simulator for the first time to explore the risk factors of helicopter driving

CTOnews.com July 18, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently announced that it is using two virtual reality (VR) helicopter simulators to conduct safety research. This is the first time that FAA has introduced the VR simulator to explore the various risk factors that lead to helicopter accidents, such as out-of-control flight, takeoff interruption, sudden maneuver, poor visibility, night flight, space misalignment, wire collisions and bird strikes.

The two simulators, developed by Swiss startup Loft Dynamics, have been installed at the William J. Hughes Technology Center in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The simulator can simulate the driving experience and conditions of two types of Airbus H125 and Robinson R22 helicopters. The simulator uses 3D high-definition panoramic perspective and constructs a full-size cockpit replica on a six-degree-of-freedom motion platform. The simulator can also simulate a variety of tactile and physical sensations that may be encountered in real flight, such as rough runway texture and feedback from flight control devices. Trainers can customize different scenarios and situations according to their needs.

Fabi Riesen, founder and CEO of Loft Dynamics, said he believes VR training technology can play a role in solving the shortage of professional pilots in the future. It is predicted that the world will need more than 600000 new pilots in the next 20 years, and the emergence of electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL) will further increase this demand. "traditional training methods will never keep up. We need innovation to solve this problem quickly, and that is our mission." Leeson said.

CTOnews.com notes that VR training is one of the most practical application scenarios for VR besides games. Proponents of VR training believe that VR can give trainees more time to practice skills at a lower cost, which has an advantage over simple physical training. From virtual classroom to police VR empathy training simulator, VR training has a wide application prospect in various fields.