Abstract
The project “Digital Twin for Human Centered Design of Future Aircraft” aims to develop Human Centered Design (HCD) procedures based on the use of high-fidelity virtual replicas of real aircraft, often referred to as digital twins. The development of the new design procedures will focus on two main targets based on the integration of liveware as the most important part of the digital twins: • the improvement of the cabin comfort for passengers and crew; • the improvement of safety in aircraft operations. With regards to the first goal, it is well established that airliners are paying great attention to the influence of noise and vibrations on the comfort of passengers, viewing comfort as one of the main aircraft quality indicators. On the other hand, noise and vibrations can deeply affect pilots at their workplace inside the cockpit by increasing their psychophysical fatigue, particularly in the case of long-haul flights. Pilot fatigue is one of the most critical issues in aviation human factors, since it can lead to a degradation of the pilot performance thus increasing the likelihood of human error. For this reason, pilot fatigue is considered to be one of the leading causes of aircraft accidents and incidents, and the monitoring of pilot condition and performance is one of the main goals to improve aviation safety. Thus, in the framework of a human-centered design philosophy, flight simulator, extended reality, and refined numerical tools for multiscale structural analyses are integrated to obtain digital twins of the real aircraft, allowing the improvement of the cabin/cockpit comfort as well as aviation safety. To achieve this goal, the project will be articulated into 3 main phases: • implementation of a virtual cabin/cockpit environment by means of extended reality, enabling to evaluate the objective and subjective comfort perception of the different implemented layouts by both passengers and crew; • multi-scale analysis of innovative materials to be used in aircraft structures and vibroacoustic simulation at aircraft level to evaluate the noise reduction with respect to standard materials. By doing so, it will be possible to develop innovative passive treatments for lining panels of cockpit and cabin. • use of a full flight simulator for: o a deep understanding of the influence of noise and vibration on the pilot performance and passengers’ comfort; o the evaluation of the different virtual cabin/cockpit layouts during simulated flight and the associated impact on comfort; o the evaluation of the pilot workload and performance under enhanced comfort conditions in terms of noise reduction coming from the possible use of passive treatments for lining panels. REQUIREMENTS ACHIEVEMENT During the Project, the UNIBO Operational Unit was responsible for developing the XR model and implementing the visual, acoustic, and mixed-reality components. The goal was to integrate the cabin noise computed by POLITO into a Digital Twin of an aircraft similar to the one used in KORE’s flight simulator to assess comfort variations resulting from different sound-absorbing materials. The work followed the development path described below, starting with an understanding of the auralization problem, progressing through the creation of virtual mock-ups, and culminating in the final model used for the experimental campaign in the simulator. RESULTS ACHIEVED In the first months (1–3), the study focused on understanding the state of the art of physical and virtual auralization processes. In particular, the problem had to be defined: describing the acoustic space in a virtual scenario where a user is free to move, starting from numerical simulation results, while preserving both the high accuracy of the analyses and the realism required for user testing. Activities included a literature review, several simple tests for converting acoustic inputs into audio files, and discussions with the other Operational Units to understand the numerical input data and potential integration issues with the simulator. By the end of this period, a methodology for auralization had been established, based on the use of mixed data: numerical results used as filters for the simulator noise. In the following months (4–10), work progressed along several lines. On one side, efforts focused on creating the visual layer needed to reproduce the simulator cabin. This was achieved by combining measurements taken from the simulator, cabin scans, and virtual models of business jets. This led to the visualisation of the cabin through augmented-and virtual reality headsets. On the auralization side, a simple mock-up was developed during this period to test the methodology defined earlier. The mock-up allowed the use of numerical data from the literature and, thanks to its small size, enabled rapid implementation. Work also focused on reducing and optimising the number of microphones/sources required in the virtual environment, starting from the numerical mesh. Using a filter applied to the original aircraft noise proved to be the correct approach for the final model as well. Subsequently (months 11–14), the calibration of the virtual cabin interior design against both the simulator and the numerical model was completed. All components were integrated into a mixed reality environment (virtual visual layers combined with physical elements, such as real seats, allowing the user actually to sit). In the central phase (months 15–24), the final virtual model of the cabin was created, integrating the filtered simulator audio, the numerical results for two acoustic configurations (with Nomex and with metamaterial), preliminary user validations to identify potential issues, and the preparation of activities and setup for the experimental campaign inside the simulator. During a visit to the simulator facility, the headsets were tested for the first time inside the cabin. In particular, the integration of simulator vibrations with the headsets was verified to enhance realism directly in the simulator. This was feasible only thanks to the small vibration amplitudes. At the end of this period, the experimental campaign was carried out at the University of Enna Kore, preceded by a final setup and calibration day. In the final months (25–28), the data were processed, and dissemination activities were evaluated throughout the project.
Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Sara Bagassi
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale
Coordinatore:
Politecnico di TORINO(Italy)
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 63.000,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
28/09/2023
Data di fine:
28/02/2026
