The Cockpit Revolution: Technology has never been more significant in our lives; it has elevated sensory experiences, changed the way we communicate, introduced automation and reduced cognitive workloads for the better. From everyday consumer technology to as far as outer space – the Digital Revolution has transformed many facets of our daily lives. The same goes for aviation, where in the past five decades we have witnessed the cockpit evolution from analog displays to computer-type screens (CRT), and to the current liquid crystal displays (LCD) that enable dynamic display capabilities.
The driving force behind cockpit advancements is largely ergonomics, which is optimising product design for effective human use. Pilots are the gatekeepers of the aircraft, and the last line of defence in any emergency. As such, the goal is to enable maximum access to critical information without compromising the pilot’s concentration. This is where improvements in human-machine interface (HMI) in the cockpit such as touchscreens are necessary for operating a highly complex machine with lesser cognitive workload.
The Rise of Large Area Displays: Research on the dynamics of HMI with touchscreen displays demonstrates significant yields in decision-making, information and cognitive processing. These studies also revealed touch as an intuitive and efficient way to interact with displays. With higher performance of information perception and processing, it augments situational awareness and lessens cognitive workload that can be utilized for other tactical tasks.
It is therefore no surprise that large area displays (LAD) for fighters have been gaining traction. Significant leaps in computer processing have enabled more flexibility of flight information to display for fighter pilots. US fighters were the first to implement a panoramic cockpit display unit; a large area touchscreen display that integrates and displays mission sensitive information on a single screen. It has now been widely accepted and used in current generation fighters.
Providers of large area displays are unanimous on hygiene factors — they have to be intuitive for usability and enable the ergonomic presentation of critical information to the pilot. Other important features for consideration include redundant design architecture and resistive touch capabilities to prevent unintended interactions in case of turbulence.
The Collins MFD 4820: Collins Aerospace unveiled the MFD 4820 LAD, an 8” by 20” monolithic screen display, at the 2019 Dubai Air show. Its wide, resistive multi-touch surface is compatible with flight gloves, and comes with optimised touch activation force that prevents unintended interactions with the screen. It enables maximum flexibility of content and visual configurations on display information for the pilot, who can navigate using single touch and multi-touch capabilities.
Another key element is the incorporation of tactical synthetic vision, where a separate application, driven from a remote processing unit, shows the video up to the display unit itself. Functionally independent left and right halves of the display unit allows screen redundancy, where the failure of a comment on one side will not affect the other side of the display, thereby enhancing operational usage and safety.
Other highlights include compatibility with night vision goggles, and clear visibility in strong or ambient light environments. Its rugged, lightweight design makes it highly appropriate for use in multiple aircraft types; fighters, transporters, tankers and rotary wing platforms.
What does it mean for the modern fighter?: Jet fighters were created for air combat and offensive air support, and hence it is even more pertinent that the pilot has a bird’s eye view of the sky, and direct, context-sensitive interaction with mission critical information via different visual configurations and video interfaces, all of which the MFD 4820 provides.
The MFD-4820 LAD is also designed for easy maintainability and the ability to display and use moving maps and related technologies. The large surface area improves the pilot’s situational awareness to increase the amount of information available to them.
The LAD can be installed on a wide range of platforms and is highly customizable to new aircraft or existing retrofits by minimizing modifications required. Designed with an open architecture in mind, it should be relatively easy for the MFD 4820 to be incorporated into existing or future Indian platforms. In addition, the ruggedness and lightweight design of the LAD helps it handle prone damages (both internal and external) during intense g-forces or turbulences during flight.
Aligning to India’s Strategic Autonomy: The development of India’s fighters is a resounding success and reinforces India’s goal of self-reliance. This is a turning point for India as it demonstrates how its local capabilities can meet its defence needs, and strengthen India’s autonomy through the rise of local MRO providers of components, parts and technology. In addition, strategic collaborations with private companies and technology providers will help accelerate India’s ambitions to be fully self-reliant and contribute towards building the local workforce.
– The writer is Managing Director, Customer & Account Management, Collins Aerospace
