Development of an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Piloting System with Integrated Motion Cueing for Training and Pilot Evaluation

UAV accidents have been steadily rising as demand and use of these vehicles increases. A critical examination of UAV accidents reveals that human error is a major cause. Advanced autonomous systems capable of eliminating the need for human piloting are still many years from implementation. There are also many potential applications of UAVs in near Earth environments that would require a human pilot’s awareness and ability to adapt. This suggests a need to improve the remote piloting of UAVs. This paper explores the use of motion platforms to augment pilot performance and the use of a simulator system to asses UAV pilot skill. The approach follows studies on human factors performance and cognitive loading. The resulting design serves as a test bed to study UAV pilot performance, create training programs, and ultimately a platform to decrease UAV accidents.