After demonstrating simplified helicopter controls, Airbus Helicopters' FlightLab completed a fully autonomous flight to test a new simplified tablet-based human-machine interface (HMI) designed to reduce pilot workload and improve safety.
Normally, flying a helicopter is a very complicated thing, requiring both hands, feet and, in fact, a "third hand" - a high degree of concentration. Flying in general is already a highly focused task, so Airbus Helicopters and other companies are looking for ways to streamline the job to make helicopters safer and reduce pilot workload.
The technology used in the flight tests, which took place from October 27 to November 22 at Airbus Helicopters’ facility in Marignane, France, as part of Project Vertex, was developed by Airbus UpNext and is one of many systems being tested by FlightLab.
Using vision-based sensors, situational awareness and obstacle detection algorithms, a fly-by-wire autonomous flight system and an advanced human-machine interface, FlightLab can complete all stages from mission preparation, pre-flight inspection, power-on, taxiing, take-off, cruise, approach and landing in a one-hour test flight. Meanwhile, the pilot monitors the flight via a tablet interface and head-mounted display and can intervene and recalculate an alternate safe route if the system fails to detect an obstacle.
The technology is not designed to replace human pilots but rather act as an assistant, however, the technology could also be applied to robotic (e)VTOL platforms and other helicopters.
"This successful demonstration of fully autonomous flight from takeoff to landing is a big step towards reducing pilot workload and simplifying the human-machine interface that the Airbus urban air mobility team intends to achieve on CityAirbusNextGen," said Michael Augello, CEO of Airbus UpNext. "Thanks to the information provided by the onboard lidar, it can also be immediately applied to helicopters flying at low altitudes close to obstacles."