The multinational EPIIC programme, involving Airbus Defence and Space, is exploring multiple exciting innovations to strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities and technological sovereignty.
Imagine Tony Stark soaring through the skies in his iconic Iron Man suit, each command answered with a seamless blend of futuristic technology.
Now imagine the cockpit of tomorrow’s fighter jet.
It’s a high-tech arena where pilots will use adaptive human-machine interfaces and immersive displays. A digital assistant provides timely updates, while a helmet-mounted system projects critical and mission information into the pilot’s field of vision. Gesture control allows him to acknowledge an update from ground control and order tasks to an unmanned platform, among other things. In addition, the vibration of the control stick gives the pilot an intuitive sense of the engine speed and flight conditions. This fusion of technologies creates a smooth, responsive experience that mirrors the magic of Stark’s suit.
This isn’t just a flight of fancy. The journey to the cockpit of the future begins with discreet steps and by several different means. One is through the hands and eyes of Airbus Defence and Space test flight pilots. Today one of them, José Ramón Asensi Miralles, is in the Future Air Capabilities Prototyping Lab at Airbus’ facilities in Getafe, Madrid. The test pilot is testing a goggles-based solution that recognises the pilot’s gestures to interact with various systems in a fighter cockpit environment.
Indigenous R&D for European technological sovereignty
Today’s tests are part of the Enhanced Pilot Interfaces & Interactions for Fighter Cockpit (EPIIC) project, supported by the European Defence Fund (EDF). Airbus is a key participant. The project aims to future-proof Europe’s defence capabilities by providing pilots the tools they need to optimise their work in the cockpit during military air operations.
Coordinated by Thales, EPIIC explores technologies such as virtual assistant, adaptive human-machine interface, large area displays and helmet-mounted displays, and cockpit interactions. These innovations are at an early stage of technology readiness, and are platform-agnostic: technologies ready for any next-generation European fighter.
Airbus is leading EPIIC’s innovative interaction modalities pillar. “This ranges from the use of voice commands and voice synthesis to gesture-based interactions and eye tracking. Every new feature must facilitate and empower the pilot,” says Belén Calleja, project manager for three EDF programmes at Airbus Defence and Space.
Enhancing situational awareness for faster responses
The test pilot explains that the goal of today’s tests is “to validate the development of a system that recognises gestures such as hand movements without using traditional buttons or switches.”
But as he says, these interactions won’t replace the use of the traditional control stick and throttles that control military fighters. “There is a philosophy behind it: HOTAS,” he says. “Cockpit design reflects how pilots have their Hands On Throttles and Stick as much as possible, so as not to interfere with flight. We’re looking at how acceptable it is for the aircraft to talk to pilots, or pilots to talk to the aircraft’s systems. It makes sense, for example, to accept a frequency change from the controller with a voice or a gesture, rather than manually entering the digits.”
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