Visualizing Spatial Relationships: Training Fighter Pilots in a Virtual Environment Debrief Interface

Abstract

In flying air intercepts, a fighter pilot must plan most tactical maneuvers well before acquiring visual contact. Success may depend on the ability to create an accurate mental model of dynamic three-dimensional spatial relationships from two-dimensional information displays. This report describes an Air Force training program for visualizing large-scale dynamic spatial relationships. The Virtual Environment Debrief Interface (VirDI) was developed to study how virtual environment technologies can be applied to an aircrew training problem-specifically, the ability to visualize the geometry of an air intercept while the target is beyond visual range. The trainer employs a low- cost, portable system which accepts data from a F-16 part-task trainer. Within moments of completing a sortie on the simulator, the user may enter and walk through a virtual world containing the ownship, target, and their respective flight trajectories. The training capacity of the system is described along with recommendations for its future expansion. F-16 Training, Situational awareness, Mental model, Three-dimensional, Virtual reality, Post-mission feedback, Virtual environment.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1993
Accession Number
ADA273972

Entities

People

  • Lori Miller
  • Lyn Mowafy

Organizations

  • University of Dayton

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Closed Loop Systems
  • Cognition
  • Computer Simulations
  • Data Displays
  • Display Systems
  • Helmet Mounted Displays
  • Human-Machine Interaction
  • Simulations
  • Students
  • Supervisory Control
  • Three Dimensional
  • Training
  • Trajectories
  • Two Dimensional
  • Virtual Reality

Readers

  • Aviation Science / Aeronautics.
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Team-Based Human-Centered Cognitive Task Decision Making and Information Performance.