5. Experimental results and discussion

Figure 7.

Military Engineering

Figure 8.

Figure 9.

84

Control front panel of the Stewart platform.

The Xtreme programming CPS iterations.

Graphical user interface of the flight simulator.

A total population of 40 pilots belonging to the aviation schools of the Armed Forces located in the city of Manta in Ecuador have been chosen to use, test and fly in the developed flight simulator. Of the 40 pilots, 15 correspond to the area of instructors and 25 correspond to the area of students of the aviation schools. After testing the constructed flight simulator, we proceeded to execute the statistical processing, for which we compared six basic characteristics of a flight simulator such as: (a) maneuverability capabilities; (b) motion detection (roll, pitch, yaw); (c) change of plane on the stage; (d) aerodynamic performance; (e) interaction with the virtual simulator; (f) control of the pilot board. These characteristics have been compared with the Microsoft Flight Simulator commercial simulator, obtaining the results indicated in Figure 10.

Figure 10, documents the results obtained from a sample of 40 pilots, as indicated above. The reference point has been executed in such a way that a pilot has been tested only in the environment of the flight simulator, being saved of expressing any comment of the experience of testing the simulator with the companions of the aviation schools. Consequently, each evaluation performed by each instructor or apprentice pilot has been free of mutual influence, which leads that the collected data have been an adequate indicator of the perception of the pilots of the flight simulator as a perceptive experience.

In this version of the flight simulator, the lowest value in the characteristics of the simulator corresponds to the control of the pilot's board, since the design and development of three of the six basic flight instruments is almost complete: (a) altimeter; (b) airspeed indicator; (c) vertical speed indicator; (d) attitude indicator; (e) heading indicator; (f) turn indicator. Actually, the simulator is 90% ready and

#### Figure 10.

Average scores of the characteristics of the selected reference points applied for the tests of the flight simulator pilots.

5.3 Version 3

software.

capabilities.

Acknowledgements

87

the pilots of Army Forces FF-AA."

obtained with 59.8 frames per second.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86586

6. Conclusions and future work

shown in Figures 11 and 12.

This algorithm contains the movement control variables that can be sent by threads with the Update () function, in such a way that a latency time of 0.02 s was

A New Real-Time Flight Simulator for Military Training Using Mechatronics and Cyber…

The results obtained from the different versions of the flight simulator are

time has been reduced from 0.63 to 0.02 s, thus achieving data transmission of almost 60 frames per second. This allowed the reproduction in real time of the movements of the Stewart platform with the movements of the flight simulator

The objective of this study was to design, develop and implement a flight simulator as a Cyber-Physical system with a Stewart platform at scale with three degrees of freedom. It has been fulfilled principles of System Design Engineering such as the V-Model for Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical Systems; and Software Engineering techniques such as the XP method for the process of design and development of the computer system in terms of communicational, computational and control modules, ensuring the quality of the software. In addition, mathematical models were applied for the calculations of the frontal, vertical and lateral velocities. These formulas were developed and then implemented with the Unity 3D game engine for the Cessna 172 aircraft, in a network of two computers that communicated with each other through flat files consumed by the LabVIEW libraries that allowed reproducing the movements of the flight simulator software application on the Stewart platform scale. This simulator has been created to improve skills and abilities of flight and space disorientation in the training of military pilots of war and combat aircraft. The validation of the proposed solution was made at instructor and student level with several pilots of the aviation schools of the Armed Forces of Ecuador, who have previously been trained in the handling of flight simulation software known as the Microsoft Flight Simulator. The results indicated that this flight simulator supports the development of aircraft control skills and abilities, leading to an increase in its maneuverability and flight

As future works, we plan to raise the development and implementation of flight simulators and low-cost spatial disorientation that allow reproducing the movements of the simulation software on a Stewart platform with four degrees of freedom composed of three pistons, electro-valves, microprocessors and other

electromechanical elements to reproduce the movement of the roll, pitch, and yaw, as well as to generate at least two or three gravities through the left and right

This study has been partially funded by the Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE in Sangolquí, Ecuador within the research project entitled "Construction of a spatial disorientation simulator for contribute to the aviation safety and training of

rotational movement of the Stewart platform to disorient the pilot.

Based on these obtained results, we have been able to document that the latency

Figure 11.

Mean scores for latency time for all three versions.

Figure 12. Mean scores for frames per second for all three versions.

works with a joystick, while it is expected to complete the research project with a rudder, pedals and the power lever connected to the simulator through USB ports.

In addition, three experiments have been performed integrating the algorithms of the mathematical models developed with the Unity 3D game engine with the control algorithms of the Stewart platform of three degrees of freedom developed in LabVIEW, obtaining a communication algorithm that receives the variables of transformation of axes by rotation of the point P (w, x, y, z). Therefore, the Stewart's platform has been able to reproduce the movements of the simulator software, obtains the roll, pitch and yaw values. The evolution of the communication algorithm to reproduce the movement of the Stewart platform in real time with the movements that are generated in the simulator software has been as follows (see Figures 11 and 12):

#### 5.1 Version 1

This algorithm contains the movement control variables that were initially written separately and then saved in a text file, in such a way that a latency time of 0.63 s was obtained with 22.3 frames per second.

#### 5.2 Version 2

This algorithm contains the movement control variables that can be written using the Update () function, in such a way that a latency time of 0.37 s was obtained with 43.28 frames per second.

A New Real-Time Flight Simulator for Military Training Using Mechatronics and Cyber… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86586

### 5.3 Version 3

This algorithm contains the movement control variables that can be sent by threads with the Update () function, in such a way that a latency time of 0.02 s was obtained with 59.8 frames per second.

The results obtained from the different versions of the flight simulator are shown in Figures 11 and 12.

Based on these obtained results, we have been able to document that the latency time has been reduced from 0.63 to 0.02 s, thus achieving data transmission of almost 60 frames per second. This allowed the reproduction in real time of the movements of the Stewart platform with the movements of the flight simulator software.

## 6. Conclusions and future work

The objective of this study was to design, develop and implement a flight simulator as a Cyber-Physical system with a Stewart platform at scale with three degrees of freedom. It has been fulfilled principles of System Design Engineering such as the V-Model for Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical Systems; and Software Engineering techniques such as the XP method for the process of design and development of the computer system in terms of communicational, computational and control modules, ensuring the quality of the software. In addition, mathematical models were applied for the calculations of the frontal, vertical and lateral velocities. These formulas were developed and then implemented with the Unity 3D game engine for the Cessna 172 aircraft, in a network of two computers that communicated with each other through flat files consumed by the LabVIEW libraries that allowed reproducing the movements of the flight simulator software application on the Stewart platform scale. This simulator has been created to improve skills and abilities of flight and space disorientation in the training of military pilots of war and combat aircraft. The validation of the proposed solution was made at instructor and student level with several pilots of the aviation schools of the Armed Forces of Ecuador, who have previously been trained in the handling of flight simulation software known as the Microsoft Flight Simulator. The results indicated that this flight simulator supports the development of aircraft control skills and abilities, leading to an increase in its maneuverability and flight capabilities.

As future works, we plan to raise the development and implementation of flight simulators and low-cost spatial disorientation that allow reproducing the movements of the simulation software on a Stewart platform with four degrees of freedom composed of three pistons, electro-valves, microprocessors and other electromechanical elements to reproduce the movement of the roll, pitch, and yaw, as well as to generate at least two or three gravities through the left and right rotational movement of the Stewart platform to disorient the pilot.

### Acknowledgements

This study has been partially funded by the Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE in Sangolquí, Ecuador within the research project entitled "Construction of a spatial disorientation simulator for contribute to the aviation safety and training of the pilots of Army Forces FF-AA."

works with a joystick, while it is expected to complete the research project with a rudder, pedals and the power lever connected to the simulator through USB ports. In addition, three experiments have been performed integrating the algorithms of the mathematical models developed with the Unity 3D game engine with the control algorithms of the Stewart platform of three degrees of freedom developed in LabVIEW, obtaining a communication algorithm that receives the variables of transformation of axes by rotation of the point P (w, x, y, z). Therefore, the Stewart's platform has been able to reproduce the movements of the simulator software, obtains the roll, pitch and yaw values. The evolution of the communication algorithm to reproduce the movement of the Stewart platform in real time with the movements that are generated in the simulator software has been as follows (see

This algorithm contains the movement control variables that were initially writ-

ten separately and then saved in a text file, in such a way that a latency time of

This algorithm contains the movement control variables that can be written using the Update () function, in such a way that a latency time of 0.37 s was

0.63 s was obtained with 22.3 frames per second.

obtained with 43.28 frames per second.

Figures 11 and 12):

5.1 Version 1

Figure 11.

Military Engineering

Figure 12.

Mean scores for latency time for all three versions.

Mean scores for frames per second for all three versions.

5.2 Version 2

86

Military Engineering
