• aptica
• controllo ottimo
• elicotteri
• modello di pilota
• simulatori di volo
• training
• transfer of training

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the effectiveness of flight simulators in the training of inexperienced helicopter pilots. In particular, by developing methods of training that are able to exploit the flexibility and intrinsic safeness of simulators, their effectiveness can be greatly improved.
In this study an haptic-based software trainer was developed. This software trainer, called Haptic Helicopter Trainer, is based on the Optimal Control Model and lays the groundwork for the use of haptic force-feedback on strongly coupled, multiple-input multiple-output systems, such helicopters.
The Haptic Helicopter Trainer was tested within a structured training experiment in a fixed-based flight simulator and compared to an existing automated software trainer. The results of this experiment proved the effectiveness of the novel method of training for inexperienced helicopter pilots and the applicability of the haptic force-feedback on complex systems.
In order to further validate the training method designed for the fixed-based flight simulator, a Transfer-of-Training experiment was then performed in a motion-based simulator, resembling the actual helicopter. The results showed that participants trained in the first experiment were able to transfer the skills acquired in the fixed-based simulator to the highly-realistic helicopter simulator.