A bulk of the research sanctioned by a $22.6 million federal defense contract will take place at Carleton’s simulation facilties.
The contract, awarded by the federal government, is for CAE Inc., a Canadian technology company specializing in civil aviation, flight simulation, and defense training, according to a Carleton press release.
The contract allows the Ottawa-based Professional Services division at CAE to perform simulation technical investigation and engineering services (SIM-TIES), according to a Carleton press release. The main goal is to test and investigate the issues surrounding virtual realities, specifically flight simulation for the Canadian Forces, the release said.
Carleton’s innovative facilities at the Visualization and Simulation Centre (VSIM) will be at the forefront when testing and research simulation on motion systems, said Chris Herdman, the centre’s director.
Since the centre is multidisciplinary, faculty and students from psychology to architecture to engineering will be involved with SIM-TIES, Herdman said.
SIM-TIES is part of a larger government project, Canadian Advanced Synthetic Environment, that helps modernize military services as well as create synthetic environments that assist in support training, according to the release.
CAE will be given support to perform “mission rehearsals, technology demonstrations, joint exercises, as well as operational and maintenance training,” according to a speech made by Gene Colabatistto, group president of Military Simulation Products, Training, and Services.
One example of Carleton’s role in the SIM-TIES contract is the recent assessment of “simulator motion systems on pilot systems,” Herdman said. Simulator motion systems are often used to provide realistic movement on aircrafts to prepare pilots.
“The research question was whether motion systems provide extra training benefit as compared to not having motion,” Herdman said.
Apart from participating in the actual research, Carleton students can also benefit from the inventive technologies. CAE Inc. also gives students opportunities to gain valuable work experience through placement programs, Herdman said, which can then turn into full-time jobs after graduation.
This is not the first time CAE Inc. has collaborated with the university.
“For many years CAE has been a strong supporter of the VSIM Centre as well as aerospace engineering at Carleton,” Herdman said. “CAE has provided software and hardware as well as engineering support to the university.“
For the Canadian Forces personnel and war-missions in the future, the SIM-TIES contract at Carleton focuses on flight training, especially on Cormorant helicopters which are used for search-and-rescue missions, Herdman said..
Since search-and-rescue missions often occur in tumultuous and risky settings, it is crucial that pilots understand the situations they could be in through simulation, Herdman said.
“The CAE research and development at Carleton will directly enhance the training of Cormorant search-and-rescue pilots and aircrew by better understanding and providing advanced simulator-based training capabilities,” he said.
“This is about saving lives,” said Carleton president Roseann Runte in a press release.
