Slalom-Tailoring Haptic Piloting Assistance: A Comparison Between An Static Force Field-Based Design And A Design Inherited From Human Motion

Abstract

Haptic flight controls have been extensively studied across various applications over the last years. This study focuses on the slalom task as defined by ADS-33F, an obstacle avoidance scenario. We examine two haptic designs derived from a common model of obstacle repulsion and goal attraction. The first design is based on a force field, representing an information processing approach that adjusts force feedback according to the distance to obstacles. The second design follows an ecological approach, inspired by goal-steering dynamics in human walking. Both designs were tested using a Pilot-in-the-Loop simulator with various gate configurations to modulate geometrical difficulty, and two control modes to examine the impact of the Controlled Element's dynamics. The results are analyzed in terms of average Cycle Time, velocity, acceleration, and applied force. Sidestick activity is modeled using Mottet's model of human arm kinematics . Participants also completed a NASA-Task Load Index questionnaire after each trial to evaluate perceived task load. This paper presents initial findings from a study involving 10 participants.