Documents / Report
This Defense Intelligence Reference Document from the Defense Intelligence Agency, dated 1 November 2010, is one of a series of advanced technology reports produced in FY 2009 under the Advanced Aerospace Weapon System Applications (AAWSA) Program. It proposes a provisional cockpit design for craft driven by speculative breakthrough propulsion, such as control of gravity and inertia and faster-than-light travel. It draws mainly on the book Frontiers of Propulsion Science and on human-machine interface research.
UNCLASSIFIED//FIHl 8FFHil.t.k Wfili IH.k\f extended arm is likely to waver. This would induce significant errors in the gesture system. Voice Commands Voice commands are promising for hands-free and parallel task initiation. 45 By the time that propulsion breakthroughs become viable, it is likely that voice-command technology will have solved the problem of voice recognition (including when stressed) and the problem of accommodating the myriad of ways to ask for the same thing. That having been considered, voice commands are projected to be an excellent augmentation to the set of other cockpit controls, particularly with the more complex and varied instruction sets, such as navigating within gesture-based systems. Based on lessons from human-to-human communication, however, it is advised to have the pilot's commands repeated back to them as a form of confirmation. Brain-Machine Interface Although research is currently in the initial stages, 46 this study of far-future cockpits assumes that this technology is fully matured, such that the pilots can issue commands with their thoughts. A limiting constraint here is that only non-invasive techniques are used (avoiding the need to modify the pilots). Regardless of the sophistication of the technology, a weak link in these systems is the human mind itself; that is, thoughts can wander. Much more study is required to determine the implications of distractions, loss of concentration, fright, levels of mental discipline, and many others. CONTEMPORARY AIRCRAFT COCKPITS For comparative reference, some features of contemporary aircraft cockpits are examined next. Key displays and controls are becoming standardized, although the placement still varies across manufacturers and models. 47 Regardless of differences, the functions are representative of similar functions to consider for breakthrough-era cockpits. The layout of the Airbus A380 Flight Deck, shown in Figure 10, has major flight functions located in specific areas. There is a combination of fixed and adaptable displays. The following items of interest are identified: • Primary flight display. • Navigation display. • Flight mode control. • Vehicle status indicators. • Joystick, throttles, and keypads. 28 UNCLASSIFIED/ ;«F&lil: 8FFI&II k WEliii 0111 Y
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Report, from the dia collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 57 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.