Spatial Audio Cueing Algorithms for Augmented Pilot Perception in Degraded/Denied Visual Environments

Abstract

This paper demonstrates the development, implementation, and testing of spatial audio cueing algorithms for augmented pilot perception. Cueing algorithms are developed for roll-axis compensatory tracking tasks where the pilot acts on the displayed error between a desired input and the comparable vehicle output motion to produce a control action. The error is displayed to the pilot using three different cueing modalities: visual, audio, and combined visual and audio. For the visual and combined visual and audio modalities, visual cues are also considered in degraded visual environments (DVE). Spatial audio algorithms that are based on a proportionalderivative (PD) compensation strategy on the tracking error are found to provide satisfactory pilot vehicle system (PVS) performance for the task in consideration when using audio feedback only (no visual cues) and to improve PVS performance in DVE when using combined visual and audio feedback. These results are in line with previous studies on the use of full-body haptics for augmented pilot perception. The combination of these results indicate that the use of secondary sensory cues such as full-body haptics and spatial audio to augment the pilot perception can lead to improved/partially-restored PVS performance when primary sensory cues like vision are impaired or denied.