Tuning of Motion Cueing Filters for Virtual Reality Flight Simulators

This paper describes a practical implementation of a research flight simulator used as a test bed for piloted rotorcraft, which incorporates a motion platform system and Virtual Reality (VR) visualisation software developed in-house. The work involves integrating the motion platform with the flight model, performing safety assessments and validation, and tuning the motion cues. The motion system was characterised experimentally and evaluated with criteria found in literature, which have identified deficiencies in the translational degrees of freedom. Basic pilot evaluation has focused on other issues, with little feedback about the motion cues themselves; thus, the tuning was limited to adjusting the overall gain for the motion platform. These preliminary results suggest a preference for lower intensity movements, which some unique features of this VR-based setup can explain.