NASA researchers have unveiled an innovative virtual reality (VR) flight simulator designed to revolutionize the future of air taxi passenger experiences. This cutting-edge tool aims to collect valuable data that will contribute to the development of more comfortable and enjoyable aircraft specifically designed for air taxi services.
Test pilot Wayne Ringelberg, based at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in California, recently completed test flights using the new simulator. His valuable feedback will guide further adjustments and improvements before the first official research study with other users begins later this year.
Unlike conventional flight training simulators, this unique VR simulator leverages the expertise of NASA research aircrew and test pilots, particularly those with vertical lift experience, to validate its safety and accuracy. Through a series of experiments conducted with the simulator, the advanced air mobility community will gain vital insights into the acceptability of motions that could be experienced during flight in these aircraft.
During the simulated ride, Ringelberg was secured in a seat mounted on a platform equipped with a VR headset and a headset. The virtual journey began with a thrilling takeoff from a conceptual vertipad situated on top of a parking garage in downtown San Francisco. The immersive experience took him through the bustling cityscape, eventually landing at another vertipad located on a towering skyscraper. During the ride, Ringelberg carefully assessed the authenticity of the simulation’s visual, motion, and audio cues, providing crucial feedback to the research team.
With the pilot checks successfully completed, NASA researchers are preparing to conduct a series of research studies with human subjects over the next four years. These studies seek to gather comprehensive information on the factors that contribute to a comfortable and enjoyable air taxi experience for passengers. This state-of-the-art simulator is housed in NASA’s Armstrong VR Virtual Passenger Ride Quality Lab, combining stunning VR visuals, physical motion cues, and spatialized rotor sounds to create a truly immersive and realistic environment.
Managed under the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology project within NASA’s Advanced Aerial Vehicles Program, this pioneering initiative fully supports NASA’s mission to develop electric air taxis and drones, ultimately fostering the advancement of mobility technologies. advanced air.
