BARRON ASSOCIATES, INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N162-094

Description

In the aviation environment, the native vestibular and somatosensory systems may provide erroneous information leaving only the visual system to provide attitude information essential for safe flight. If the visual system is compromised, spatial discord can lead to aircraft loss of control. The current state-of-the-art in miniaturized Inertial Measurement Units (mIMU) presents an opportunity to develop a fully self-contained and wearable tactile attitude-indicator to augment attitude information through the somatosensory system. <br><br>The goal of the proposed program is to produce a tactile attitude-indicator using a body-worn fitted garment integrated with a mIMU and to demonstrate its ability to enhance spatial awareness through flight tests. In Phase I, a prototype free-standing undergarment shirt will be fabricated that provides intuitive attitude cues via the somatosensory system in the aviation environment. The collaborative research team includes flight testing facilities and an academic institution with expertise in human orientation and balance.