CYCLONE – centrifuge simulation technology
CYCLONE – centrifuge simulation technology
IISRI’s centrifuge simulation technology, CYCLONE, is supporting the growth of Australia’s aerospace industry by keeping innovative space exploration and aircrews training and assessment on Australian soil.
In the past, Australian astronauts and aircrews have travelled overseas for training and performance assessment under high-gravity acceleration environments. However, IISRI has helped to overcome that challenge and put Australia at the forefront of aviation and space training technologies.
IISRI researchers designed and built Australia’s first high-G centrifuge prototype called CYCLONE – which enables Australian astronauts and pilots to complete high-G training safely here in Australia.
How does it work?
In defence, high-G training with an actual airplane with a high degree of manoeuvrability is expensive, impractical and potentially dangerous.
When training in real settings, aircrews and astronauts are exposed to greater physical and psychological stress, which can lead to Gravity-induced Loss of Consciousness (G-LOC). G-LOC threatens the pilot’s life, the mission and the multi-million-dollar aircraft.
However, high-G training using motion simulators such as CYCLONE can significantly improve G-force tolerance. With the capability to generate up to 9G centrifugal acceleration with a maximum onset rate of 5G/s, CYCLONE is a highly agile system that provides pilots with multiple flight scenarios in a controlled environment.
It can perform rapid manoeuvres with multi-axis acceleration at sustained high-G forces and rapid onset rates. Pilots are taught Anti-G Straining Manoeuvres, can practice breathing techniques, and become adjusted to an anti-G suit in the CYCLONE centrifuge.
By allowing aircrews and astronauts to experience a range of training and emergency scenarios in a safe and repeatable environment, they can improve their competence in a wider variety of situations, such as different aircrafts and super manoeuvres, over a shorter period.
Motion simulators are also the safest and most cost-effective tools for virtual prototyping, testing new land and air vehicle designs and conducting user behaviour analysis.
AT A GLANCE
CYCLONE is Australia’s first high-G centrifuge motion system that was designed, built, and tested at IISRI and put Australia at the forefront of aviation and space training technologies.
Real-world impact: CYCLONE allows aircrews and astronauts to experience training and emergency scenarios in a safe environment, putting people out of harm’s way and saving costs. It also serves as a cost-effective tool for virtual prototyping and testing of new land and vehicle designs.
Research team: Dr Navid Mohajer, Associate Professor Shady Mohamed, Associate Professor Zoran Najdovski, Associate Professor Houshyar Asadi, Dr Matthew Watson and Dr Ahmad Abu Alqumsan.
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