PROTEST - AN EXPERT-SYSTEM FOR TUNING SIMULATOR WASHOUT FILTERS

Current motion-drive algorithms have a number of coefficients that are selected to tune the motion of the simulator. Little attention has be en given to the process of selecting the most appropriate coefficient values, Final tuning is best accomplished using experienced evaluation pilots to provide feedback to a washout filter expert who adjusts the coefficients in an attempt to satisfy the pilot. This paper presents the development of a tuning paradigm and the capturing of such within an expert system. The focus of this development is the University of T oronto classical washout algorithm, hut the results are relevant to al ternative classical and similarly structured adaptive algorithms, A se t of relations between coefficient adjustments and motion cue errors a re used to develop the expert system called PROTEST. PROTEST tunes the motion-drive algorithm based on a restricted set of comments given by the evaluation pilot. A set of experiments utilizing the University o f Toronto's Flight Research Simulator was conducted to test the perfor mance of PROTEST. PROTEST was found to be a useful tool for motion tun ing with performance matching that of tuning experts.