Fast TRAX for Training Pilots: The MS&T Interview

Phil Perey, Head of Technology – Defense & Security, on CAE’s new TRAX Academy and Sprint Virtual Reality trainer. Perey spoke with Halldale Group Editor Marty Kauchak.

Today at I/ITSEC in Orlando, Florida, CAE introduced its TRAX Academy. The acronym “TRAX” is a corporate label to address Training, Acceleration and a nod to the emerging “X” factor in this space – virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality. Concurrently, CAE also launched their Sprint Virtual Reality trainer, an integral part of TRAX Academy, which is claimed to support “self-paced learning in an immersive, high-fidelity virtual environment.”

CAE’s Perey said at this early point in TRAX Academy’s development, the company projects customers to benefit through increased student throughput (depicted above) and more efficient use of experienced and high-demand instructor pilots. He further added, “conservatively, we think that you may see a saving of 25% or more through a TRAX Academy-type program versus a traditional training program." Source: CAE

CAE’snew products are entering the market space at a time when military servicesaround the world are grappling with pilot and instructor shortages. Indeed, theUS Air Force’s embryonic Pilot Training Next (PNT) program, is one of a numberof activities in the air training domain designed to rethink, and, whennecessary, break down traditional constructs of aircrew training. As for the“Academy” part of the moniker, Perey emphasized this product supports a trainingcontinuum, “a complete training solution, focusing on how to get pilotstrained faster. While the training tool, the Sprint device, is one part of it,it’s really about how you link all of those pieces together into a verycohesive and complete training plan that is much more efficient than what itwas in the traditional sense of pilot training.”

Pereypointed out TRAX is taking many of the concepts and ideas behind PNT, but insome regards ‘upping it’ in terms of better fidelity for simulation, cueing andhelmet-mounted displays. “But more importantly, linking that into digitally enabledcourseware, and bringing in a foundational piece of data analytics that coversall the aspects of where the student learns, is able to practice and perform,and have a validated 1:1 session with the instructor. This is the backbone thatwill enable continuous, iterative improvement of your training programs goingforward.”

TheCAE TRAX Academy capability was initially designed to support pilot communitiesacross fixed-wing and helicopter platforms.

Theindustry veteran conceptually outlined how a student in one of the communities wouldprogress through its academy. At the front end of the training continuum, aclass of aspiring aviators completes computer-based training to learn platformfundamentals (fuel and other systems) as well as flight dynamics. “They alsohave a form to interact with other students in the class and schedule 1:1 timewith an instructor – they are essentially running at their own speed,” Pereynoted. When basic skill sets have been gained, the students progress torefining maneuvers and other parts of a syllabus using a PC and HMD headset.“They are virtually immersed in the aircraft environment and able to get thecoaching and other instruction needed to advance to the next step – the SprintVR Trainer.”

One trainerattribute is providing a student with the ability to complete a trainingsyllabus task unassisted – graded by CAE Rise. An accompanying learningmanagement system assists the qualified instructor in determining whether toallow a student to advance to a next phase or possibly graduate. Pereyemphasized that the student’s final phase could occur in a training device thatis Rise-enabled. “This provides that full continuum of data to validate thetraining transfer, and safety and proficiency of those students who graduate.”

Pereysaid at this early point in TRAX Academy’s development, the company projectshigh-level returns on investment: increased student throughput and such. Headded, “Conservatively, we also think that you will at least have a saving of25% of bringing a student through a TRAX-type program versus a traditionaltraining program.”

“Thereare two key areas we are addressing with TRAX that are huge customer ‘painpoints’,” he continued. “First, if we can have the students learning more ontheir own, ultimately it means the number of instructors needed for a givenclass of students will be lower – fewer instructors which air forces don’t haveto spare. Second, and as important, we’re shortening time the student spends intheir training program – time the students can use to move on and start theirtransition or other next-phase training. That means you can graduate a certainpercentage more pilots.”

Thenew capability builds upon internal CAE products and programs, as wellbest-of-breed content from other industry sources.

TRAX Academy’s foundation includes the company’s early deliverables from its five-year Project Digital Intelligence research and development program implemented in 2018. “This is yielding some pretty impressive capabilities very quickly. We launched CAE Rise and CAE Medallion Series E image generator last year. This year, we’re bringing these capabilities into TRAX – one further step.”

The S&T industry company also launched the CAE Sprint Virtual Reality (VR) trainer (above), an integral part of the CAE TRAX Academy. Source: CAE

CAEis also taking advantage of COTS components from industry partners. A shortlist of content under consideration for integration from these collaborativeefforts includes: helmet-mounted displays, the Sprint component, cloudcomputing services, artificial intelligence and other materiel. “This is aneffort of integrating pieces – a fair number of them on the software side comefrom our own technology stack, other pieces come externally,” Perey summarized.

CAE TRAXAcademy continues to be developed with the informal perspectives of current andprospective customers from around the globe. The CAE executive added, “We’veiterated it and have made changes, with user community inputs from the UK,Australia, New Zealand and even the US Navy – it’s been a multi-tiered inputduring the last year.”

Thereis currently a 12-month delivery and fielding window for CAE TRAX Academy –from contract signing to having the solution in training with a customer.

TheTRAX Academy program roadmap for the next 12-18 months is succinct: tailoringTRAX and its enabling Sprint trainer to get the capability into the hands ofair forces and other military services’ aviation branches as soon as possible.

Pereyconcluded: “There is incredible enthusiasm by our counterparts on CAE’s civilside for applicability of this capability. We fully expect this sort ofcapability would be used over the next year in the civil realm for a number ofdifferent aircraft platforms.”

At this early point in CAE TRAX Academy’s development, the company projects customers to benefit through increased student throughput and a saving of 25% compared with a traditional training program." Source: CAE

CAE also launched their Sprint Virtual Reality trainer, an integral part of the CAE TRAX Academy. Source: CAE