Rookies to Aces: Investigating the Intuitiveness of Pilot Interaction for Operating eVTOL Aircraft

<p>Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft introduce unique movement dimensions beyond traditional fixed-wing and rotor-wing aircraft, requiring novel control interfaces for pilot operation. This study examines the compatibility of gesture-based control movements across participants with varying flight experience levels. This study included a total of 60 participants across four groups; novices (no real or virtual flight experience, n=30), flight simulator gamers (n=10), fixed-wing pilots (n=10), and rotor-wing pilots (n=10). Participants viewed eighteen simulated first-person eVTOL aircraft movements (e.g. pitch, roll, yaw, heave, translations) assessing their intuitive gesture inputs for the different aircraft motions. Additionally, they were asked to sketch their envisioned cockpit control layouts. Participants were not told the type of aircraft the videos simulated. Their gestures and verbal explanations were recorded for analysis. Two independent raters categorized similar gestures the participants performed based on the body part moved (e.g. hand, foot), direction of movement (forward, backward, left, right), and the type of movement (tilt, twist, pull, push) for each aircraft movement. Inter-rater reliability (Cohen’s kappa) for rater groupings were high and indicated substantial agreement between the raters. Dominant gesture movements for each participant group were identified across the 18 aircraft maneuvers using rater groupings. Results indicate that prior flight experience influences gesture compatibility. Rotor-wing pilots, fixed-wing pilots, and flight simulator gamers performed gesture motions similar to their experience and knowledge, while novices drew inspiration from driving cars and piloting they’ve seen through movies and tv-shows (e.g. Top Gun). The imagined sketched concepts varied between rotor-wing centric (cyclic, collective, pedals), fixed-wing centric (yoke, throttle, pedals), and hybrid control schemes blending conventional and novel inputs. The findings of this study highlight considerations needed to tailor eVTOL pilot controls depending on the target pilot population and movement compatibility considerations.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy in Human Factors

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation - Open Access

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Human Factors and Behavioral Neurobiology

Year dc:date.available

2025

Author dc:creator

• Patel, Shivani J.

• eVTOL
• UAM
• urban air mobility
• AAM
• Advanced Air Mobility
• gestures
• pilot control inputs
• human factors
• aviation
• novices
• rotor-wing
• fixed-wing
• Cognitive Psychology
• Experimental Analysis of Behavior
• Human Factors Psychology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://commons.erau.edu/edt/993

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:commons.erau.edu:edt-1916