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UMD’s Extended Reality Flight Simulation and Control Lab is dedicated to advancing aviation safety, pilot performance, and training efficiency through cutting-edge VR/XR technologies. The lab brings together a team of approximately 15 researchers, including master’s students, Ph.D. candidates, and postdoctoral fellows, focusing on critical aerospace areas such as flight dynamics, vertical lift technologies, and human-machine interaction.
Since its establishment roughly two and a half years ago, the lab has secured approximately $3 million in research funding from prestigious organizations such as the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, National Science Foundation, Lockheed Martin, and NASA. This funding not only underscores the significance and impact of the lab’s research but also hints at the revolutionary changes it will bring to flight training.
Research at the UMD lab highlights the transformative potential of immersive headset-based simulation technologies in flight training. Compared to traditional large-dome physical cockpits, VR/XR technologies offer several key advantages:
- Cost Efficiency: VR/XR simulations significantly reduce simulator costs, making advanced simulation technology more accessible for universities and training centers.
- Reduced Physical Footprint: By eliminating the need for large screens and bulky structures, VR/XR simulators drastically decrease the mass, inertia, and size of the training setups.
- Flexibility and Versatility: VR/XR technologies enable rapid and easy switching between different configurations without requiring separate physical setups, enhancing training flexibility.
- Multi-User Capabilities: VR/XR simulators are affordable enough to acquire multiple units that can be linked together, allowing for simultaneous multi-pilot and multi-aircraft simulations.
- Enhanced Immersion and Realism: Head-mounted devices can be installed on various motion platforms, achieving unprecedented simulation maneuvers.
- Improved Field of View: Offering superior 360° look-down and peripheral vision capabilities, VR/XR headsets surpass the limitations of physical screens.
Innovative Technology Highlights from UMD Lab
High-Precision Headsets: The lab employs Varjo XR-3 and XR-4 headsets, utilizing their advanced mixed-reality pass-through technology to enable physical interaction between pilots and cockpit elements.
Haptic Feedback Technology: In collaboration with Lockheed Martin, the lab explores the application of haptic feedback in flight simulations, particularly to enhance pilot perception and performance in visually degraded scenarios.
Wearable Physiological Sensing: The lab adopts headsets equipped with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors to capture real-time brainwave data from pilots in immersive flight environments, providing insights for optimizing training experiences.
Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS): The lab is venturing into GVS technology, which sends motion signals directly to the brain through electrodes in a headset, simulating sensations like turning or acceleration for a more realistic simulation experience under extreme flight conditions.
The UMD lab’s research is not only advancing the state-of-the-art in flight simulation technology but also having a tangible impact on aviation training. By leveraging VR/XR technologies, the lab is making advanced simulation technology more accessible and efficient, enabling pilots to train in a more realistic and immersive environment. This, in turn, is expected to improve pilot performance, reduce training time, and enhance aviation safety.
UMD’s Extended Reality Flight Simulation and Control Lab is at the forefront of aviation research and training innovation. Through its groundbreaking work in VR/XR technologies, the lab is not only reshaping the future of flight training but also setting new standards in the field. As the lab continues to push the boundaries of what is possible, we can anticipate even more exciting advancements in the years to come. Stay tuned for updates from the UMD lab as they continue to pioneer the future of aviation training.
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