myCopter
Personal Aerial Vehicles: the next big gamechanger?
Prof. dr. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
dr. ir. Joost Venrooij
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
Department: Human Perception, Cognition and Action
The dream of Personal Aviation
Technology exists to build aircraft for
individual transport
• many concepts have already been
developed
Drawbacks of current designs
• Need for of a pilot license
• Need for infrastructure (e.g.,
landing strip)
Focus often on vehicle design
instead of transport system
4/15/2016
Transition
PAL-V
Volocopter
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Terrafugia
PAL-V Europe N.V.
E-volo GmbH
2
Challenges for Personal Aviation
“Designing the air vehicle is only a relative small
part of overcoming the challenges… The other
challenges remain…” [EC, 2007]
• Accessibility to general public?
• Vehicle dynamics? Training?
• Automation? Human interaction?
• Safety, noise, … ?
• Integration?
European Commission, Out of the box ̶ Ideas about the future of
air transport, 2007
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
3
EU-project myCopter
Duration: Jan 2011 – Dec 2014
• Project cost: €4,287,529
• Project funding: € 3,424,534
•
www.mycopter.eu
Max-Planck-Institut
für biologische Kybernetik
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
4
Enabling Technologies for Personal Aviation
Automation and
autonomy
Human-machine
interfaces and training
• Navigation
• Landing place
assessment
• Sensor-fusion for
collision avoidance
• Control interfaces
and displays
• Shared control
• Multi-sensory
feedback
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Socio-technological
environment
• Acceptance: noise,
safety, fuel, cars in
the sky
• Integration into
current transport
systems
5
Novel Approaches to Automation
Goal: Develop robust novel algorithms
for vision-based control and navigation
Challenges
• Recognize obstacles and other traffic
• Recognize landing areas
• In all season and in adverse weather conditions
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
6
Framework for Vision-Based Navigation
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
7
Collision Avoidance Strategies
50 vehicles at the same altitude fly from a point on a
circle to a point on the opposite side
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
8
Demonstration of Swarm Technology
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
9
Piloting Personal Aerial Vehicles
Goal: Develop response requirements for PAVs
Challenges
• Flying a helicopter is difficult; requires lots of training
• Determine response type that is flyable by novice
“flight-naïve” pilots
• Determine the training requirements for PAV pilots
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
10
PAV response types
Develop and assess new response types for VTOL vehicles
Basic helicopter rate control with cyclic
…
Attitude control (pitch and roll)
…
Translation control (forward/lateral velocity)
Turn coordination, heave augmentation
…
Car-like steering
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
11
Human-Machine Interfaces
Goal: Develop human-machine interfaces that
make flying as easy as driving a car
Challenges
• Current flight controls and displays are not intuitive
• Multisensory perception is not taken into account
• No reliable objective measurements of pilot workload
Max-Planck-Institut
für biologische Kybernetik
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
12
Intuitive Displays and Controls
Highway-in-the-Sky display
• Haptic aid: active sidestick to “feel” the highway
•
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
13
Multi-sensory Human-Machine Interfaces
Novel HMI: haptic shared control
• Combining the advantages of manual
and automatic control
• The pilot remains in control and can
overrule the automatic control system
Guidance
forces
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
14
Objective Measures for Workload
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
15
Human-Machine Interfaces
Exchange helicopter flight controls with a steering
wheel and pedals
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
16
HMI Demonstration in DLR Simulator
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
17
The Socio-Technological Environment
Goal: Generate knowledge on the demands and
preferences of society towards PAVs
Challenges
• Identifying hurdles for introducing PAVs
• User expectations and objections
• Investigating where PAVs could have an impact
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
18
Societal Expectations and Preferences
Focus group interviews in 3 European countries
to determine user perceptions and expectations
1. Discussion on mobility patterns and behaviour as well as perceived
promises and actual expectations on PAV / PATS
2. Demonstration of a PAV ride in a simulator
3. Discussion on PAV‐specific aspects such as design, operational
environment, autonomy, usability, etc.
Liverpool
Tübingen
Zürich
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
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User Perceptions and Expectations
Safety
• On board
• On the ground
Environmental issues
• Noise
• Visual pollution
Ownership
• Own vs. share
Legal issues
• Accidents
• Communication
• Privacy
4/15/2016
Infrastructure
• Landing
• Maintenance
Level of autonomy
• Fully autonomous vs.
manual operation
• Leisure use
• Emergency situations
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Other
• Use for tourism
• Forest monitoring
• Medical evacuation
20
User Perceptions and Expectations
Safety
• On board
• On the ground
Ownership
• Own vs. share
Legal issues
• Accidents
• Communication
• Privacy
4/15/2016
Environmental issues
• Noise
• Visual pollution
“…had some sort of airbags…”
Level of autonomy
• Fully autonomous vs.
manual operation
• Leisure use
• Emergency situations
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Infrastructure
• Landing
• Maintenance
Other
• Use for tourism
• Forest monitoring
• Medical evacuation
21
User Perceptions and Expectations
Safety
• On board
• On the ground
Ownership
• Own vs. share
Legal issues
• Accidents
• Communication
• Privacy
4/15/2016
Environmental issues
• Noise
• Visual pollution
“…thousands of these buzzing
around and have their
emissions, are noisy,
produce shade…”
Level of autonomy
• Fully autonomous vs.
manual operation
• Leisure use
• Emergency situations
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Infrastructure
• Landing
• Maintenance
Other
• Use for tourism
• Forest monitoring
• Medical evacuation
22
User Perceptions and Expectations
Safety
• On board
• On the ground
Ownership
• Own vs. share
Legal issues
• Accidents
• Communication
• Privacy
4/15/2016
Environmental issues
• Noise
• Visual pollution
“…only on certain routes,
so on highways or
above railway lines…”
Level of autonomy
• Fully autonomous vs.
manual operation
• Leisure use
• Emergency situations
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Infrastructure
• Landing
• Maintenance
Other
• Use for tourism
• Forest monitoring
• Medical evacuation
23
User Perceptions and Expectations
Safety
• On board
• On the ground
Ownership
• Own vs. share
Legal issues
• Accidents
• Communication
• Privacy
4/15/2016
Environmental issues
• Noise
• Visual pollution
“…you’d have to start building
cities thinking about this…”
Level of autonomy
• Fully autonomous vs.
manual operation
• Leisure use
• Emergency situations
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Infrastructure
• Landing
• Maintenance
Other
• Use for tourism
• Forest monitoring
• Medical evacuation
24
User Perceptions and Expectations
Safety
• On board
• On the ground
Ownership
• Own vs. share
Legal issues
• Accidents
• Communication
• Privacy
4/15/2016
Environmental issues
• Noise
• Visual pollution
“…I’d prefer fully automatic…
because I wouldn’t trust anyone
else…I trust the technology…”
Level of autonomy
• Fully autonomous vs.
manual operation
• Leisure use
• Emergency situations
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Infrastructure
• Landing
• Maintenance
Other
• Use for tourism
• Forest monitoring
• Medical evacuation
25
User Perceptions and Expectations
Safety
• On board
• On the ground
Ownership
• Own vs. share
Legal issues
• Accidents
• Communication
• Privacy
4/15/2016
Environmental issues
• Noise
• Visual pollution
“…if it’s all automatic and…
an accidents happens…,
whose fault is it…”
Level of autonomy
• Fully autonomous vs.
manual operation
• Leisure use
• Emergency situations
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Infrastructure
• Landing
• Maintenance
Other
• Use for tourism
• Forest monitoring
• Medical evacuation
26
User Perceptions and Expectations
Safety
• On board
• On the ground
Ownership
• Own vs. share
Legal issues
• Accidents
• Communication
• Privacy
4/15/2016
Environmental issues
• Noise
• Visual pollution
“…a shared one is going to
have less cost than
having your own…”
Level of autonomy
• Fully autonomous vs.
manual operation
• Leisure use
• Emergency situations
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
Infrastructure
• Landing
• Maintenance
Other
• Use for tourism
• Forest monitoring
• Medical evacuation
27
Ongoing work: helicopter augmentation
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
28
Ongoing work: CableRobot Simulator
CableRobot Simulator https://youtu.be/cJCsomGwdk0
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
29
Personal Aerial Vehicles
Are Personal Aerial Vehicles the
next big game-changer?
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
30
Many PAV concepts exist
Joby Aviation
PAL-V Europe N.V.
S2
PAL-V
e-volo GmbH
Terrafugia Inc.
VC200
Terrafugia TF-X
EHANG Inc.
AeroMobil
AeroMobil 3.0
4/15/2016
Ehang-184
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
31
Many research projects completed
2007 – 2008
2007
2009 – 2013
2011 – 2013
2011 – 2014
2011 – 2013
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
32
Also outside Europe
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
33
Personal Aerial Vehicles
Are Personal Aerial Vehicles the
next big game-changer?
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4/15/2016
Market
Concepts
Research
…
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Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
More research
Regulations
Integration
Customer base
…
34
Volocopter VC200: First flight
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OazFiIhwAEs
4/15/2016
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany | Prof. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
36
myCopter:
Enabling Technologies for Personal Aerial
Transportation Systems
Prof. Dr. Heinrich H. Bülthoff
[email protected]
Dr. ir. Joost Venrooij
[email protected]
Dr. ir. Frank M. Nieuwenhuizen
Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
Department: Human Perception, Cognition and Action
www.mycopter.eu