Under safer skies

Even more reliable aircraft: that's the promise of EuroMov researchers. These movement specialists are tackling a sworn enemy of pilots: spatial disorientation.

Can you tell top from bottom? Can you tell the difference between going up and going down? Of course you can! Easy when you've got both feet on the ground. But more difficult at the controls of a plane or helicopter... "The senses we use to maintain our balance and to distinguish up from down are no longer reliable when we're in motion without an external frame of reference", explains Benoît Bardy.
This confusion of the senses can lead to a distorted perception of the pilot's position and movement in relation to the Earth. They then fall victim to "spatial disorientation". This phenomenon is still poorly understood, but has far-reaching consequences: 15-20% of aircraft accidents are attributable to spatial disorientation.

Upside down

To study this phenomenon, Airbus and Onera, the French aerospace research center, called on researchers at EuroMov, the European motion research center, and its spatial orientation specialists.
"We have a simulator unique in France, called iMose, which enables us to put airplane or helicopter pilots in situations to analyze their reactions," explains Euromov's director. "They are equipped with a virtual reality helmet to reproduce real flight conditions as faithfully as possible", adds Jérémie Landrieu. They are also equipped with sensors to measure stress, brain activity and eye movement.

Safer flights

The aim of the CoSenses project is to improve flight safety. "A better understanding of spatial disorientation will enable us to propose solutions to limit the risks and reduce the number of accidents," stresses Benoît Bardy.
And the avenues open to us are numerous: improving the training programs used in flight schools, modifying cockpit ergonomics and optimizing the interfaces between man and machine. "Thisis an important aspect, because in the event of spatial disorientation, there can be a contradiction between the sensations felt by the pilot and the information provided by his flight instruments", explains Jérémie Landrieu.
"The three-year CoSenses project will develop a prototype for a new man-machine interface," adds Benoît Bardy. Good news for the three billion passengers who travel by air every year. Air travel is already the safest mode of transport, ahead of the train... and far ahead of the road, which is responsible for 1.24 million deaths every year, according to the World Health Organization.
Photo credit: Patrick Aventurier