Motion Cueing Systems
Intelligent, integrated and highly reconfigurable motion cueing seats for combat aircraft, lead-in trainers and helicopter simulators
Motion cueing technology that significantly enhances the simulation training environment
Stirling supports the world’s leading simulator manufacturers in delivering state-of-the-art training platforms for complex and demanding military applications. We provide our clients with intelligent, integrated and highly-reconfigurable dynamic seats and g-seats for combat aircraft, lead-in trainers and helicopter training simulators. Put simply: our motion cueing systems offer some of the most advanced and compact technologies on the market today.
Key features and benefits of Motion Cueing Systems
How does motion cueing technology work?
Motion cues are provided to the pilot through actuation built into the seats and harnesses. Our control software then ties these cues into the flight simulator, which in-turn replicates the feel of the aircraft in flight.
Electrical actuators work within the seat to provide negative and positive motion cues, thus increasing the pilot’s situational awareness. The seat actuators are commanded directly by Stirling’s real-time control system, which itself interfaces with the host environment receiving aircraft motion data and other commands via an Ethernet connection. The translation of aircraft motion to seat motion is handled entirely by our real-time control system.
We have delivered several seat designs, each addressing the specific needs of individual customers. Design considerations include the host aircraft performance, seat replication and operational requirements of the mission simulations. In cases where customers have found it difficult to define the complete performance requirements for their seats, we have provided guidance on the performance necessary to achieve an extremely realistic and immersive simulation experience.
Typical Motion Cueing Seat Specification
| Motion Cues | Typical Displacement | Typical Velocity | Typical Acceleration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat Pan Roll | ±20mm | 100mm/s | 0.5g |
| Seat Pan Heave | ±20mm | 100mm/s | 0.5g |
| Backpad Sway | ±37.5mm | 100mm/s | 0.5g |
| Backpad Surge | ±17.5mm | 100mm/s | 0.5g |
| Lap Harness | ±20mm | 100mm/s | 0.5g |
| Shoulder Harness | ±20mm | 100mm/s | 0.5g |
| Seat Vertical Travel (G-seat) | 215mm | 250mm/s | 1.0g |
| Description | Specification |
|---|---|
| Description | 115kg (equivalent pilot mass) |
| Power Requirements | Single or three phase supply, 2-4 kW* |
| Interface to Host | Ethernet (UDP) as standard |
| Associated Systems | |
|---|---|
| Anti G-Suit | Operation as per aircraft specification in terms of pressure and rates of inflation and deflation |
| Sensed functions (seat type dependent) | Multiple sensing options can be provided including; go-forward lever, emergency oxygen handle, armed/safe lever, ejection firing handle |
| Tactile Transducers | Providing additional high frequency inputs to the seat system to replicate inputs such as gun-fire and blade passing frequencies |
| System Monitoring | The MCS system includes comprehensive reporting of system commands, operation states and error reporting. Monitoring and diagnosis information is available via messaging including initialisation built-in test (BIT) and continuous BIT |
* Depending on seat type
Latest simulators featuring Stirling’s seats
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HAWK MK 128 Advanced Trainer (RAF Pilot Training Simulator)
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AW159 Wildcat Maritime Surveillance (Leonardo)
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T-50 Golden Eagle
Case Studies
Design and Development of a State-of-the-Art Motion Cueing System for KAI
Korea Aerospace Industries, Ltd (KAI) approached us for a state-of-the-art motion cueing system for a Full Mission Trainer simulator for their T-50 programme. The requirements of the seat were beyond any system available on the market, with a specific number of motion cues, sensed seat switches, emergency devices and performance parameters.
Replicating the flight seats for Lynx Wildcat Simulators
Indra Sistemas, the Spanish information technology and defence systems company, awarded Stirling with the contract for the design and development of six dynamic seats for the AW159 Lynx Wildcat helicopter simulators (to be supplied to Leonardo Helicopters).