Vibrating devices like the one at left may help pilots monitor flight deck systems. By Jo McCulty Vibrations may deliver information to pilots By Pam Frost Researchers at Ohio State are exploring ways for pilots to monitor automated flight deck systems with their skin instead of just their eyes and ears. The same technology may foster human-machine communication in other domains, said Nadine Sarter, an assistant professor of industrial, welding and systems engineering.
Pilots receive a great deal of visual and audio feedback, but tactile cues are rare.
Sarter's initial work in this area at the University of Illinois was funded by the Federal Aviation Administration. Now, the National Science Foundation funds her continued work at Ohio State, with the idea that her findings may be useful outside aviation, as well. Today's computerized aircraft are capable of performing many tasks independently, Sarter explained. An on-board computer could initiate a maneuver or safety procedure when the pilot doesn't expect it. So the pilot has to monitor all the instruments very carefully and combine information from many different displays to get an idea of what the automation is doing.