Reccommendations for Conducting Real-Time Human-in-the-Loop Simulations over the Internet

Abstract

Distributed simulations can improve the cognitive fidelity of simulated task environments because more operators can be added to the simulation without greatly increasing its cost. We report here on the development and execution of a distributed simulation/demonstration of ROVs flying in terminal airspace in order to investigate the feasibility of ROV flight in terminal airspace, and the feasibility of conducting simulations over the internet. The simulation involved pilots located at CSAAT, an aviation research lab at California State University Long Beach, and the Flight Deck Display Research Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center, flying ROVs over the internet in a simulated airspace. We describe the procedures used to develop the simulation and offer recommendations for improving future simulations over the internet.