Interface[s] Montréal

Immersion and Virtual Reality

Ronald Kruk

Chief Scientist , CAE Inc.

Control systems and Human Sensory/Motor Bandwidth: Stabilizing the Virtual World

View the presentation [In English]

The discussion will be in three parts:

1. a review of the capabilities and limitations of human perceptual processing systems, concentrating on data rates and ability to deal with rapidly changing parameters (analog bandwidth);
2. the consequences of ignoring these limitations in real and virtual systems (eg. Aircraft that are uncontrollable, VR systems that are unuseable), and;
3. some approaches to improving the stability of interactive virtual worlds.

In the first part of the discussion, the bandwidth and interactions of some independent functions of the human perceptual systems such as foveal and peripheral vision, the tactile and vestibular systems, and audition will be described in the context of engineering design of controls and displays for maximum performance.

In the second part of the discussion, design characteristics which can lead to phenomena such as Pilot Induced Oscillations (PIO) leading to aircraft accidents and “simulator sickness” in virtual systems will be illustrated.

In the third and final section, some approaches to the design of control systems in aircraft and engineered visual, motion and acoustic systems in simulators will be described, and cost effective ways of applying this knowledge in the design of interactive virtual environments will be suggested.

L’hélicotpère NRC

Dr. Kruk is Chief Scientist at CAE Inc. Prior to joining CAE in 1983 he was a pilot in the Canadian Forces. At CAE has been involved in R&D supporting: a series of Helmet-Mounted-Display Systems; Computer Image Generation Systems; Networked Simulation and Synthetic Environments; Fly-By-Wire control systems and controllers for flight and tele-robotic applications; and hybrid/autonomous robotic sensor systems including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Unmanned Ground Systems concepts. Current research interests include: human visual performance; aviation human factors; visual-vestibular-tactile interaction; advanced visual displays and image generation systems; information processing in C4I systems, and; human performance measurement and modelling in networked synthetic environments.