Industry & Economy
-
Research & Development
Gadget to test pilot aptitude waiting in the wings
Our Bureau
Hyderabad
,
Feb. 14
IN the cockpit of modern fighter aircraft or even civilian ones, the control panels are highly automated and electronically controlled. Does the pilot, the key man behind the controls, have the right aptitude to ensure best results? The answer may just be a gadget away.
Developed by Indian defence scientists, the Pilot Aptitude Batter Test (PABT) is designed to gauge the aptitude of the pilot. And, according to Dr W. Selvamurthy, Chief Controller (R&D), Defence Research & Development Organisation, it has export potential.
At present being validated by the Indian Air Force, the PABT gives insights into the pilot's aptitude for flying, his ability to receive, process and take decisions based on the visual and audio data from the control systems.
Conventional aptitude test for pilots deployed since the 1960s were essentially psychomotor versions which relied on the eye-hand-leg co-ordination. The present PABT goes into the cognitive processing abilities also, Dr Selvamurthy told Business Line. If one has to fly sophisticated aircraft, such as the Sukhoi, Mirage, Jaguar or our own Light Combat Aircraft, the Tejas, these cognitive skills are crucial. The IAF was given the first unit a couple of months ago and it is undergoing trials. "We expect the IAF to place an order worth Rs 10 crore for about 200 PABTs, which it would use in the air force selection boards in Varanasi, Dehradun and Mysore," the DRDO official said. South Africa too is a potential vendor, he added.
The PABT has been developed by the Institute of Technology Management, Mussorie.
Article
E-Mail
::
Comment
::
Syndication
::
Printer Friendly Page
|
