NAS Patuxent River, Md. –
The Basic & Applied Training & Technologies for Learning & Evaluation (BATTLE) Lab is an in-house capability dedicated to improving training and human performance. Since its establishment in 2014, the lab has produced capabilities by applying cognitive science, behavioral research and emerging technology solutions in a variety of learning environments.
The BATTLE Lab’s immense effort has received several awards, to include the Dr. Dolores M. Etter Top Scientist and Engineers Award of the Year and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Acquisition Support Award for collaborative work with the Naval Aviation Survival Training Program (NASTP). In August 2023, the lab’s research into “Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (GVS) as a Training Device for Spatial Disorientation in Naval Aviation” received the U.S. Naval Aeromedical Conference (USNAC) 2023 Theoretical Research Award. The lab’s focus on spatial disorientation solutions led to the Rapid Design, Development and Fabrication (RD2F) Lab, another Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) team, to update the current training device, the Multi-Station Disorientation Demonstrator (MSDD) with the NASTP. Senior Research Psychologists Beth Atkinson and Dr. Mitch Tindall explained how the NAWCTSD labs aim to improve aviation survival training.
Imagine rolling out of bed and feeling the room spinning despite barely moving. That sensation of orientation mismatching what is happening in the environment is similar to spatial disorientation. Tindall defined spatial disorientation, in regard to Naval Aviation, as a mismatch between visual and/or vestibular systems and other senses that result in disorientation during flight.
“If your perception of reality is different than reality, then you'll modify your behavior based on what you think is happening,” which most commonly occurs during low visibility situations. “Sometimes that might be descending when you should be ascending, or staying steady when you should be turning, or turning when you should be staying steady,” Tindall said.
These reactions that are not grounded in the reality of the situation can be fatal and are the most cited factors associated with Class A mishaps within the Navy.
Because of the physiological nature of spatial disorientation, it effects pilots of all kinds. For example, famed basketball player Kobe Bryant died in 2020 from a helicopter crash. According to Business Insider, the helicopter was cleared to fly Bryant, Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter and seven other passengers through dense fog because of the pilot’s experience. The pilot missed clearing a hill by less than 30 feet and the helicopter crashed, killing all of the passengers. The findings released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) cited that the probable cause of the crash was spatial disorientation due to poor visual conditions that resulted in the loss of control of the aircraft.
Although spatial disorientation have been a known issue for decades, the training devices available to support awareness training has limitations. According to Atkinson, the MSDD located in Pensacola, Florida, affectionately called the “Spin and Puke,” has been around for over 40 years. Students climb inside the MSDD, which looks like a big canister, and experience the sensations associated with a mismatch between vestibular systems and visual systems. The motion of the device and visual displays provided by a projector stimulate the sensation.
While the MSDD can provide basic familiarity training, “it can’t replicate changes in altitude” or more dynamic motion associated with flying. This lack of a realistic experience and the lack of an aviation-specific environment “could be a training gap,” Atkinson said. The MSDD provides invaluable training, so the RD2F Lab is updating the MSDD with the NASTP.
The legacy computer system was outdated, and the motor controller failed. The RD2F team is modernizing the system’s computer and control functionality to regain control of the carousel, capsules and projector. The team pressurized the training device and attached the motor control unit at a recent site visit at Naval Air Station Pensacola. This success “got the motors on the device operational,” NASTP IPT Lead Lt. Cmdr. Jeremy Miller said.
Thanks to the efforts of BATTLE lab, RD2F, NASTP, connections within the aeromedical community and research from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), additional potential solutions are being posed to update the GVS device.
“The idea is to leverage some existing capabilities and try to integrate them and see if we can technically align the systems in a way that allows us to replicate exactly the sensations we want and not some random assortment of experiences,” Tindall said.
The GVS device would stimulate the vestibular system and make the trainee feel like they are in motion. The GVS system works by placing small probes on the neck or forehead of an individual to deliver electric signals to stimulate the vestibular system, resulting in a feeling of sway or movement. If successful, this method would reduce training costs and increase accessibility of training.
BATTLE Lab, RD2F and NASTP collaboratively leveraged their research and engineering skills to address a serious capability gap in aviation survival training. Instead of rendering the MSDD legacy training device as obsolete, the labs strategically saved time and cost by getting real about necessary changes to device. Two prototype control units will be developed to run each motor, which are stacked on top of each other under the carousel. Then control units will replace the legacy computer system to minimize footprint. The labs' research and technological updates are examples of how improving training devices with technological advances will improve human performance and help warfighters get better.
Angelika B. Robertson is a communications specialist with Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division.