Development of a Solution for OLED Display Smartphones for Pilot Training in Low-Visibility Flight Scenarios

Thais Russomano; Fausto Maiate; Nicolas Meira da Silva Schirmer; Michele da Rosa; João de Carvalho Castro; Júlio César Marques de Lima

Thais Russomano MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil
Fausto Maiate MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil
Nicolas Meira da Silva Schirmer MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil
Michele da Rosa MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil
João de Carvalho Castro MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil
Júlio César Marques de Lima MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil

Keywords: mobile technology, visual illusions, pilot disorientation

Abstract

Visual illusions and spatial disorientation are common causes of air accidents and incidents, especially during low-visibility flight conditions in small aircraft. It is therefore essential that pilots receive training regarding adaptation of the visual and vestibular systems to the aerospace environment. This project aimed to develop a device capable of simulating different visual illusions and aspects related to central and peripheral vision (colour and visual acuity), through the use of smartphones with OLED display technology (model: Galaxy S5 SM-G900M, screen: 5.1 inches, 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution, 432 pixels per inch). The phone was coupled with augmented reality glasses (model: ColorCross 3D Virtual Reality) with a 70 mm focal length lens, supporting devices of 4 to 6 inches. The smartphone is attached to the front of the glasses, giving an impression of three-dimensionality, and the visual tests are either transmitted from a computer or saved on the device itself. The images and videos selected, such as the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test and Cambridge Colour Test, are commonly used in pilot training and are validated for use in clinical ophthalmology. Technical adaptations were necessary so these tests functioned adequately on the smartphone. Both tests are designed exclusively for use on a computing platform and, therefore, the Trinus VR application was first used to convert the computer image to 3D, before making it available on the smartphone screen. This solution for training pilots in visual illusions during low-visibility flight scenarios using smartphones with OLED displays is easy to implement, user-friendly and low-cost. Mobile technology adaptation for use in aviation training is of great value, as it can have a positive influence on the reduction of human errors that can result from alterations in human physiology secondary to exposure to the aerospace environment, thereby reducing the occurrence of air accidents and incidents.

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Author Biographies

Thais Russomano, MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil

Thais Russomano, MD, MSc (Aerospace Medicine, Wright State University, USA), PhD (Space Physiology, King’s College London, UK). Thais founded and co-ordinates the Microgravity Centre-PUCRS, Brazil, internationally recognized for its space life sciences and eHealth research. She is a Full Professor at PUCRS and Visiting Senior Lecturer at King’s College London. Thais holds international patents, has authored numerous articles and books, and acts as consultant and advisor for space projects. She is an elected member of aerospace academies and associations and involved in space projects as Co-Founder, Corporate Director and Chief Medical Officer of the USA-based International Space Medicine Consortium, Inc. (ISMC).

Fausto Maiate, MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil

Fausto Maiate is a Pilot, and graduated from the School of Aeronautical Science, PUCRS, and recieved a student scholarship to work in Aerospace projects at the MicroG Centre, PUCRS.

Nicolas Meira da Silva Schirmer, MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil

Nicolas Meira da Silva Schirmer is an undergraduate student of Computer Science Engineering at PUCRS, and had a student scholarship to develop projects in Aerospace Biomedical Engineering at the Microgravity Centre, PUCRS.

Michele da Rosa, MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil

Michele da Rosa holds a degree in Physiotherapy, Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, focused on research in Biomedical Engineering, and a PhD in Health Sciences (Clinical Medicine), both graduate degrees from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). She is currently the Administrative Coordinator of the Microgravity Centre (MicroG) Research Centre, PUCRS, conducting researches together with the TeleHealth Laboratory and other Laboratories of the MicroG, also developing pre-clinical and clinical trials for the validation of electromedical equipment.

João de Carvalho Castro, MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil

João de Carvalho Castro holds a medical degree from the Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (1983) and a PhD in Medicine (Pneumological Sciences) from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (2006). He is an Associate Professor of the Schools of Medicine and Aeronautical Sciences (FACA) at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS). In addition, João Castro is Head of Clinical Medicine Services at the Hospital São Lucas, Researcher at the Microgravity Centre and Co-ordinator of the Aviation Research Laboratory at PUCRS. He is also a Medical Intensivist of the Intensive Care Medical Service at the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, UFRGS.

Júlio César Marques de Lima, MicroG Centre, PUCRS, Brazil

Júlio César Marques de Lima holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (1987) and a Master's degree in Electronic Engineering and Computation from the Technological Institute of Aeronautics (1993). He is currently an Associate Professor at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul and Co-ordinator of the MicroG Aerospace Engineering Lab. Júlio is experienced in Electrical Engineering, with a focus on Electrical, Magnetic and Electronic Circuits, acting mainly in the areas of Image Processing, Autonomous Navigation Vehicles, Robotics, and Customized Digital Systems.

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