Tactile cueing system for degraded visual environments

The Australian Army sponsored a flight demonstration of the Tactile Cueing System (TCS) to determine the mission utility of tactile cueing for hover and approach operations in Degraded Visual Environment (DVE). TCS uses the sense of touch to provide intuitive hover drift cues to helicopter crews and was integrated and flown in an Australian Army CH-47F helicopter. Data obtained during the flight demonstration showed that in DVE, hover performance improved with TCS usage. The objectively measured performance enhancement was accompanied by a concurrent improvement in ADS-33 handling quality ratings, subjective spatial awareness (SA), and workload rating by the pilot; and the subjective ratings of pilot performance by aircrew. TCS demonstrated maximum drift maintenance improvement when it was combined with a visual display during translational rate command mode. Lessons learned highlighted the necessity to integrate TCS with 1553 data, and optimise the integration of the TCS with pilots and aircrew. TCS flight demonstration observations were consistent with previous US Army tactile cueing evaluations. These results indicate that TCS has the potential to improve position maintenance, reduce pilot workload, and thus progress safety during hover operations in DVE and could be an excellent safety technology contribution for future helicopters, as well as supporting legacy platforms in the short term.