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| Project Summary | The US Navy’s PMA-205 in conjunction with Stottler Henke has developed/deployed/updated a flexible, low-cost PC-hosted and WEB-hosted Part-Task Trainer (PTT) crew trainer for the Navy’s MH-60S (Sierra) and MH-60R (Romeo) helicopters called the Operator Machine Interface Assistant (OMIA). This flexible training system functions as a part-task trainer for general functionality, and is expandable to support in-depth training in particular subsystems, such as active acoustics.OMIA includes the Mission Display, Flight Display, the Center Console’s Control Display Unit (CDU), as well as the CMP, RCU and FLIR HCU units. OMIA also supports integration with with physical hand control units via USB, and flight simulator software to provide an optional ‘out the window’ view. The core OMIA supports three training configurations: Sierra Pilot, Romeo Pilot, and Romeo Sensor Operator. The expanded Acoustic Training System (ATS) functionality supports in-depth acoustic systems training. In this configuration OMIA-ATS connects to the same helicopter acoustic processor used in the actual helicopter and realistically plays back recorded sonar data. OMIA-ATS supports both dipping sonar, and active and passive sonobuoy processing. See also: Datasheet (PDF) | ||||||
| Customer | U.S. Navy | ||||||
| Users | Helicopter crew members and their instructors at HSC-3 and HSM-41 at Naval Air Station North Island, HSC-2 at Norfolk, HSL-44 at NAS Jacksonville, and HSM-40 at NS Mayport | ||||||
| Need | The Common Cockpit design used by the Navy’s MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters includes all the flight and mission instrumentation. It enables the pilot and co-pilot to share workload through dual flight and mission instrumentation; and to work with the Sensor Operator in the MH-60R. The Navy needed a flexible training system that could function as a part-task trainer for general functionality, simulate multiple seats in a helicopter as part of a Mission Avionics Subsystem Trainer, as well as be expandable to support in-depth training in particular subsystems, such as active acoustics. | ||||||
| Solution | Since the late 1990s the US Navy’s PMA-205 in conjunction with Stottler Henke has developed/deployed/updated a flexible, low-cost PC-hosted and WEB-hosted Part-Task Trainer (PTT) crew trainer for the Navy’s MH-60S (Sierra) and MH-60R (Romeo) helicopters called the Operator Machine Interface Assistant (OMIA).The core OMIA is a standalone Java program that operates under any standard Windows 7/8/10, Linux or Macintosh computer. The standalone OMIA is a part-task trainer for the Common Cockpit, including the Mission Display, Flight Display, the Control Display Unit (CDU), as well as the CMP, RCU and FLIR HCU units. OMIA also supports integration with flight simulator software to provide an optional ‘out the window’ view. The core OMIA supports three training configurations: Sierra Pilot, Romeo Pilot, and Romeo Sensor Operator.There are two additional training areas currently supported by OMIA: FLIR and Acoustic. These areas add functionality to the core system described above.The FLIR functionality allows OMIA to function as a FLIR trainer. The FLIR user mainly controls the FLIR operation via a Hand-Control Unit (HCU). OMIA can interface with a portable HCU that is a close facsimile of the actual helicopters HCU via USB, or with a software version of the HCU.
The optional Training System (ATS) module expands OMIA to OMIA-ATS and provides in-depth acoustic systems training. OMIA-ATS provides “depth” by adding all the functionality for the acoustic Dipper and Buoy sensors. A top-level summary of the ATS Trainer characteristics include:
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| Status | OMIA is currently used in the Navy’s fleet training program for MH-60R and MH-60S helicopter crews. In addition, it is used to familiarize maintenance crews with the MH-60S cockpit. OMIA is available to all crewmembers at land and at sea. | ||||||
| Additional Information | Screenshots: simulated flight display, mission display, RCU panel, and key pad
Video demonstrations: Windows Media Video (WMV):
Ludwig, J., Richards, R. (2010) MH60S/R Helicopter Multi-Platform & Web-Based Crew Trainer with FLIR. Proceedings IEEE Aerospace Conference. Big Sky, MT. Powerpoint JACKSONVILLE NAVY PILOTS TO GET CUTTING EDGE SOFTWARE. The Florida Times-Union (01/26/2010) Richards, R. J. Ludwig (2008) “Training Benefits of a Java Based Part Task Trainer,” 2008 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. Big Sky, MT Powerpoint Richards, R. (2007) MH60S/R Helicopter Crew Trainer: Via a Variety of Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Technologies. The 2007 International Conference on Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Methods (MSV). Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, June 25-28, 2007 Powerpoint Richards, R., J. Ludwig (2007) PC Rapid Modification Tool for Aircraft Experimentation & Training for the MH-60S/MH-60R Helicopters. 2007 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. 2007 IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. Big Sky, Montana, March 4-9, 2007 Powerpoint 2007 IEEE Aerospace Conference paper: PC Rapid Modification Tool for Aircraft Experimentation & Training for the MH-60S/MH-60R Helicopters Powerpoint 2006 International Conference on Cognitive Modeling paper: Comparing Helicopter Interfaces with CogTool AVSIM 2002 paper: Common Cockpit Helicopter Training Simulator I/ITSEC 2001 paper: A Common Cockpit Training System
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