Simulator lets students and researchers pilot aircraft, spaceships
The Eight360 NOVA simulator. Image: Eight360.
Located in the聽School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, the New Zealand-manufactured Eight360 NOVA Simulator will be used to conduct teaching and research. It is currently the only simulator of its kind at an Australian university.聽
It聽uses a virtual reality environment which allows students and researchers to see鈥痶he cause鈥痑nd effect聽of theory and design on aircraft聽behaviour. It augments learning and research with hands-on experience, exposing students to flight operations environments.
The simulator鈥檚 unlimited rotational axes permit聽complex movements like spinning and inverted flight, setting it apart from conventional flight simulators. It聽will allow researchers to better understand how aircraft聽and humans behave and perform in difficult conditions, as well as pilot and test vehicles they have designed.
The type of simualtion students and researchers experience. Image: Eight360.聽
It operates聽"untethered",聽realised by a freely mobile ball resting on rollers powered by electric motors that enable precise ball positioning at varying speeds. As the pilot manipulates the controls, the ball adjusts is positioning to mimic the flight vehicle's orientation and accelerations.
Associate Professor Nicholas Lawson, who joined the University in 2021聽and leads聽Aircraft Performance and Operations,聽said:聽鈥淭he simulator will expose students to the feeling of flight, so they can link theoretical areas of study, such as aircraft design and flight mechanics, to practice.鈥�
鈥淭hese days, so much is done online.聽It鈥檚聽vitally聽important that students gain practical experience, especially in an area like aerospace and aeronautics which is, of course,聽all about movement!鈥澛爏aid Professor Lawson,聽who was聽a聽qualified flying instructor and previously worked as Chair of Aerodynamics and Airborne Measurement at Cranfield University, which聽is highly regarded globally,聽in the field of Aerospace Engineering.
Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering student, Kaylee Li said the simulator had聽significantly contributed to her understanding of aerospace and space engineering.聽
"The highly immersive experience of piloting the simulator has聽been very rewarding. It is an excellent, hands-on complement to theoretical learning", said Ms Li, who will this week travel to Azerbaijan for the International Astronautic Conference and Space Generation Congress as a student delegate, where she will be present on the role of the next generation in the future of space.聽
The simulator also has the potential to be used for聽simulated space environments, including controlling crewed聽vehicles on planet surfaces. This area is being developed by Visiting Professor Gregory Chamitoff, a former NASA Astronaut.
DISCLOSURE:
The flight simulator聽was funded by the James N. Kirby Foundation聽and聽Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor's CAPEX funding. Improvements to the Bennett Laboratory were funded by a聽donation from the聽William & Agnes Bennett Research Fund.
