Human-in-the-loop evaluation of an active sidestick control system for aircraft taxiing

Abstract

Pilots generally use multiple controls to taxi a large transport aircraft, including the throttle levers, tiller and brake pedals. This can be a laborious task, particularly at large airports and in low visibility conditions. One way to reduce the number of controls required for taxiing is to use an active sidestick for steering and speed control. This paper discusses the human-in-the-loop evaluation of different methods of taxiing with an active sidestick, and compares them to the conventional method of taxiing. The evaluation was carried out in a flight simulator with the participation of 20 airline pilots and both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained. This paper discusses the results and feedback obtained with regards to various aspects of the active sidestick technology, including sidestick stiffness and sensitivity, speed control, force feedback, and the impact of the proposed technology on the accuracy of taxiing.