Fighter Jets, Foils and Human Factors: An investigation with BAE Systems
by Land Rover BAR 2 Nov 2015 17:02 GMT
2 November 2015
BAE's Striker II © Jamie Hunter / BAE Systems
The speed of reaction of a fighter pilot in combat has always been a matter of life and death. So when defence and aerospace companies design the control systems for modern military fast jets they are very, very careful to ensure that nothing gets between the pilot and the plane. The design of the interface must present no barriers to the human's interaction with the machine.
The field of technology that applies itself to this task is called Human Factors and BAE Systems are a leading exponent – these are the people who know how best to present information in high pressured, high speed situations, just like racing the new foiling America's Cup Class boats.
A member of Land Rover BAR's Technical Innovation Group (TIG), BAE Systems was an obvious collaborator when the team's designers and sailors wanted to measure their control system interfaces against the state of the art in military fighter jets; honed in a field where everything is staked on quick reflexes.
Land Rover BAR launched their Technical Innovation Group (TIG) with PA Consulting Group to bring together the very best in British design, technology and innovation to help bring the America's Cup home to Britain. The TIG team has begun several projects with the member companies – such as Jaguar Land Rover – and the Human Factors investigation with BAE Systems is one of the first.
The Head of Human Factors at the Military Aircraft Division at BAE Systems is Jean Page, and she has been assigned to conduct a study centering on how the sailor / boat interface can be best designed to optimise performance, both improving sailing and reducing the cognitive burden on the sailing team. Read on here...