An intelligent tutoring system for simulator-based helicopter flight training

Abstract

The development of an intelligent tutoring system for helicopter flight training is described. The Intelligent Flight Trainer (IFT) is a simulator-based system designed to assist students in developing proficiency on a suite of initial entry rotary wing maneuvers. It encapsulates instructor pilot domain knowledge in an expert system shell that provides tutorial and performance monitoring functions through a synthetic voice generator. The expert system shell works in concert with a variable stability augmentation control law that makes it easier for a neophyte student to control the motion of the simulated vehicle. Experimental verification of the IFT is currently under way at the UH-1 Training Research Simulator at Fort Rucker.

Adaptive Training Considerations for Use in Simulation-Based Systems

“…The student had basic knowledge of helicopter flight, but minimal flight experience. The student performed generally poor on the task and the helper role did not help her acquire skills, however, the level of control assistance did help the student hover and the advisor successfully guided the student through traffic (Mulgand et al, 1995). Although this evaluation had many limitations such as small sample size, lack of a control group, massed rather than distributed training, and lack of measurement of transfer to real helicopters, it did provide some support for a variable flight model and the ITS of the trainer.…”

Machines that learn and teach seamlessly

“…The tutoring system serves to instruct the student in the correct manner of manipulating the simulation, and to evaluate the student's performance at the end. Other instances of intelligent tutors linked to training simulation for military flight training can be found in [8] and [9].…”

Designing an intelligent teaching simulator for learning to teach by practicing

“…For example, Chieu, Luengo, Vadcard, and Tonetti (2010) and Luengo, Mufti-Alchawafa, and Vadcard (2007) developed a simulation-based intelligent learning environment to support the novice surgeon in mastering pragmatic knowledge in the domain of orthopedic surgery. Mulgund, Asdigha, Zacharias, Krishnakumar, and Dohme (1995) built a simulation-based intelligent flight trainer for the neophyte student to develop practical skills on a suite of initial entry rotary wing maneuvers.…”