Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Simulator

The Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) simulator is a generic fighter platform with two touch screen LCD Heads Down Displays (HDDs). The simulator is capable of flying numerous flight models via the five computers that allow the simulator to operate. Three computers are used to run the software packages, including flight model, outside visuals, HDDs, and performance evaluative software. The remaining two computers are used as an input/output server (IOS) and for eye tracking. The simulator is equipped with multiple technologies to capture the human factors behind the human-machine interface.

These include:

Dense array EEG, 128 electrodes (Electrical Geodesics)
Remote optics eye tracker with three cameras (SmartEye)
Facial temperature changes (FLIR Systems Thermovision A-10)
Pulse and ECG (extra electrodes amplified through EGI amplifier)
Facial EMG (extra electrodes amplified through EGI amplifier)
Facial feature recognition (Available through SmartEye system)
Respiration amplitude and frequency (Rhythmlink respiration belt attached to EGI amplifier)
Galvanic skin response (GSR, extra electrodes amplified through EGI amplifier)

The outside visuals are presented by three 46” Samsung LCDs displayed directly in front and arched to each side of the cockpit. Located behind the cockpit is the flight crew station, which operates all pertinent systems to the JSF, as well as the human factors evaluation software.

Programs to be run on the JSF include QTEA, which is currently being proposed to STTR and involves actively measuring trainee workload via physiological measurement. While this is not the sole capability of the JSF, it is what it was originally designed for. These converging technologies include the Alion-BMH Advanced Tactical Aircraft Simulator (ATAS), the Alion-BMH Common Distributed Mission Training Station (CDMTS), and the Cognitive Avionics Tool Set (CATS) that was developed by OPL and continues to be refined under ongoing research at OPL. These existing technologies will be integrated into a system (see Figure 2) that we call the Quality of Training Effectiveness Assessment (QTEA) tool.

The Joint Strike Fighter Simulator

Photos of the Joint Strike Fighter Simulator (JSF). The Simulator was made specifically by OPL to measure workload on a training pilot. The simulator is equiped with instrumentation that makes physiological measures through EEG, eye tracking, ECG, EMG, GSR, and respiration amplitude and frequency. The simulator is also equipped with human factors evaluation software.