We are kicking the year off with our new team and new ideas to make an Xtreme Flying and Driving Emulator (X – FADE)!
We have just recently established our team roles and project goals. The team consists of four members: McHenry will be the team lead, KC will be the purchasing manager, Matt will be the safety officer, and Ethan will be the documentation manager. The team is learning about the current flight simulator chair and its basic functions, always thinking ahead on how to make it even better.
One of the main project goals is to reduce the response-time delay between the pilot’s inputs and the chair’s reaction. We plan to accomplish this not only by transmitting the data between the chair and the computer via local area network (LAN) cable, but also by improving the control system.
Additionally, we plan on improving the aesthetics and realism of the simulator in order to more accurately simulate the experience of flying from the cockpit of a plane. This will involve creating a dashboard to surround the pilot, possibly with other buttons and switches to manipulate.
Perhaps the most exciting goal we have is to incorporate virtual reality into our simulator. We have yet to explore what it will entail to replace the current computer screen monitor with virtual reality goggles, but that will be a main research focus for us this quarter!
Stay tuned for more blog posts as we progress throughout the quarter!

McHenry Carlson
X-Fade Flight Simulator