FAA Explores XR Flight Training Standards
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Vertex Solutions, a Woman-Owned Small Business, has been selected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to lead a new research initiative on VR flight simulation standards, alongside esteemed partners Varjo and Aechelon. Through the FAA’s Immersive Flight Simulation CRADA RFI (692M15-IFS- RFI-CRADA), this partnership unites Vertex’s extensive experience in extended reality (XR) training, Varjo’s XR headsets, and Aechelon’s advanced visual simulation systems to explore the transformative impact of XR in pilot training. Vertex Solutions will also incorporate a mixed reality (MR) approach to advance the study.
With this landmark collaboration, Vertex, Varjo, and Aechelon will combine their expertise to assist the agency in enhancing the FAA’s CSF S-76 simulator for XR visualization. This setup will allow the FAA to conduct rigorous experiments on XR head-mounted display (HMD) specifications, including latency, resolution, and field of view. These trials will assess how XR variables affect pilot performance and workload, providing critical insights for establishing new XR standards in aviation training.
“Partnering with Varjo and Aechelon enables us to bring the very best in VR technology to this FAA project,” said Dennis Wikoff, President & COO at Vertex Solutions. “Together, we aim to help the FAA set new benchmarks that could redefine training methods and support the integration of VR into official flight simulator standards. We’re honored to collaborate on this project and shape the future of immersive flight training.”
The core objective of this collaborative agreement is to identify the minimum XR system specifications required for effective use in pilot training. Vertex Solutions will work alongside the FAA to enhance the S-76 simulator with XR functionality, allowing the FAA to conduct in- depth research scenarios using the new setup. FAA pilots will run through these scenarios,
which will involve varying key XR parameters such as field of view and latency to determine their impact on pilot performance.
The final output of this collaboration will include a comprehensive report on the findings, detailing how specific XR HMD metrics influence pilot workload and training efficacy. This report will be shared with FAA sponsors to guide decisions on potential updates to federal flight simulator regulations.
