Introduction
Due to technological advancement, different functionality such as Heads-Up Display (HUD), synthetic vision, Integrated Flight Control System (IFCS), Voice-Activated Commands, Automatic Braking Systems, and Active Noise Cancellation have become helpful in ensuring aircraft efficiency. These features will be critical in ensuring that the future aircraft’s safety, efficiency, and comfortability are attained. Additionally, these technologies prevent pilots from becoming overwhelmed in the midst of a crisis and offer enhanced accuracy and precision, which can be crucial in certain situations. In future aircraft, I will design the cockpit by adding the latest technology functionalities to ensure maximum safety and comfortability.
Main body
I will add a Heads-Up Display to the cockpit design so that the pilot can see information about the aircraft and its surroundings without having to look down at instruments. A HUD is a critical piece of equipment for any pilot because it provides essential information about the aircraft and its surroundings. The HUD helps the pilot maintain situational awareness and makes flying safer and more efficient. The Heads-Up Display projects Critical Flight Information such as airspeed, altitude, heading, vertical speed, and recommended landing configuration directly onto the windshield (Rebensky et al., 2022). This removes the need for the pilot to constantly reference other instruments in the cockpit, which can be distracting and time-consuming. In addition to being an important tool for pilots, HUD will also be used in other settings such as military aircraft, training simulators, and race cars; many modern commercial airplanes are already equipped with HUDs.
In the cockpit design for the future, I will include synthetic vision. This technology displays a computer-generated image of the outside world on a screen in the cockpit, allowing pilots to see through clouds and bad weather. The technology is based on a database of 3D terrain models and images which is combined with real-time sensor data from the aircraft. Including synthetic vision technology in cockpit designs have a few potential benefits. The most obvious is that it will help pilots who are flying in low visibility conditions, such as fog or snow (Rebensky et al., 2022). Another benefit is that it will help pilots to more easily maintain their orientation during flight. This will especially be helpful for pilots who are not very experienced, as it will help them to better understand their surroundings and make better decisions when flying. Finally, synthetic vision technology will also be used to provide pilots with important information about their aircraft’s status, such as altitude and speed. This information will be very helpful in ensuring a safe and accurate flight.
Conversely, in the cockpit design, I will have an Integrated Flight Control System (IFCS). This will allow the aircraft to be controlled automatically, making it easier for the pilot to focus on other tasks. Integrated flight control systems will also be important because they will help in increasing safety and efficiency in the cockpit. They allow pilots to more easily manage all of the different functions of the aircraft and make it easier to respond to emergencies (Szelmanowski et al., 2017). Additionally, these systems can help to reduce wear and tear on the aircraft, as well as improve fuel economy. Generally, integrated flight control systems can have a significant impact on both the safety and performance of an aircraft. Without an integrated flight control system, the aircraft will be less stable and more difficult to fly. The integration of the various flight control systems on an aircraft helps to create a more unified and coordinated approach to flying the plane. This in turn, makes it easier for pilots to maintain control of the aircraft and reduces the risk of accidents.
Voice-Activated Commands will be another element that I will include in the design. These will allow the pilot to control all aspects of the aircraft using voice commands. Voice-activated commands will be used in the aircraft for a variety of reasons. First, they will provide pilots with an additional way to interact with the aircraft. This is important because it can help reduce pilot workload, which will in turn, improve safety (Szelmanowski et al., 2017). Additionally, voice-activated commands will be used to enter information into the aircraft’s computer systems and to control various aspects of the operation of the aircraft. By using voice-activated commands, pilots will be able to keep their hands on the controls and their eyes on the runway.
Moreover, voice commands will also be used to control various aspects of the aircraft’s operation, such as turning on the ignition, opening and closing doors, and adjusting cabin temperature and lighting levels. Some newer models will even allow passengers to order food or drinks from the inflight menu using voice commands (Szelmanowski et al., 2017). In most cases, a passenger will simply need to say something like “activate microphone” or “record message” followed by their command, and the system will respond accordingly.
I will also include Automatic Braking Systems, which will automatically apply brakes when necessary in order to prevent or reduce the severity of a crash. Automatic Braking Systems (ABS) are a type of aircraft braking system that allows the pilot to activate the brakes without having to use the rudder pedals. There are several different types of ABS, but all work by automatically activating the brakes when the aircraft is travelling too fast for the pilot to safely apply them using only the rudder pedals. This prevents the aircraft from overshooting or undershooting the runway during landing, which could lead to a crash (D’Avico et al., 2020). ABS is an essential safety feature on modern aircraft, and is required by most aviation authorities, and will be needed for future aircraft.
Active Noise Cancellation is another key technology that I will integrate into the aircraft cockpit. It is an aircraft technology that will significantly reduce in-flight noise for a more comfortable experience. It does this by detecting sound waves from the engine and other sources and then creating opposing ‘cancelling’ waves to cancel out the original noise. ANC will be used for both low- and high-frequency sounds, making it effective at reducing a wide range of annoying in-flight noises (Rebensky et al., 2022). While traditional noise reduction methods focus on mitigating noise after it has entered the cabin, ANC will work to prevent noise from ever entering in the first place. This means that ANC will be significantly more effective at reducing unwanted noise than night masking or earplugs.
Conclusion
In conclusion, in the cockpit design, I will apply various elements to ensure the affective functionality of future aircraft. Ahead of the cockpit windshield will be a Heads-Up Display (HUD), which will project important flight information onto the glass so that pilots can keep their eyes on the sky. The Integrated Flight Control System (IFCS) will monitor and control all aspects of the aircraft’s flight, from engine power to flap positions. Voice-activated Commands will allow pilots to control various functions of the aircraft without taking their hands off the controls. Conversely, collision avoidance technology and automatic braking systems are important for aircraft safety. They will help to prevent accidents and crashes by warning pilots of an impending collision and automatically breaking the plane if necessary. These systems play a crucial role in ensuring the safety of airline passengers and crew.
References
D’Avico, L., Tanelli, M., & Savaresi, S. M. (2020). Tire-wear control in aircraft via active braking. IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology, 29(3), 984-995.
Rebensky, S., Carroll, M., Bennett, W., & Hu, X. (2022). Impact of heads-up displays on small unmanned aircraft system operator situation awareness and performance: A simulated study. International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, 38(5), 419-431.
Szelmanowski, A., Pazur, A., Prusik, T., & Malanowicz, A. (2017). Possibilities of voice supporting of the pilot in multi-task military aircraft. Journal of Kones, 24. Web.