Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) 2003
THE RAF HELICOPTER VOICE MARSHALLING SIMULATOR:
EARLY EXPERIENCES & RECENT ENHANCEMENTS
Robert J. Stone
Virtalis / VP Defence Limited & University of Birmingham
UK
ABSTRACT
A paper presented by the author at I/ITSEC 2002 described the development of a new virtual reality (VR) system for
training RAF Helicopter Voice Marshalling (HVM) students. The results of early human factors analyses of in-
flight behaviors were instrumental in delivering affordable, PC-based trainers hosting semi-immersive virtual
environments, endowed with levels of fidelity and visual cues commensurate with the training tasks specified. Since
the installation of the simulators at RAF Valley and Shawbury, reductions in the number of student failures
following remedial VR training have been experienced. RAF instructors and students alike have commented
positively on the benefits accrued and cost savings made by undertaking repeatable VR sessions prior to flying
actual training sorties over land and sea. However, in some cases, concerns were raised that the simulators actually
fell short of delivering a comprehensive training package, although this was due to budgetary limitations
underpinning the original RAF statement of requirements. For example, RAF Valley personnel (Search And Rescue
Training Unit, SARTU) drew attention to the need for a detailed virtual littoral (coastal) scene, in addition to the
basic seascape environment already in place. Shawbury personnel also commented on the absence of a method of
training the handling of under-slung loads and the need for greater accuracy in measuring student performance in
confined area operations. This paper presents some of the recent enhancements to the original simulators, covering
the development of the littoral environment in detail, together with early student results, observations and
operational findings. In addition, there is growing RAF interest in extending the VR simulators even further to
support rear-door gunnery training. The paper concludes with a relevant description of the recent development of a
low-cost, general-purpose machine gun (GPMG) trainer to enhance the Royal Navy’s Close-Range Weapons
Simulator Facility at HMS Collingwood (also presented at I/ITSEC 2002).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Professor Robert J. Stone BSc (Hons), MSc, C.Psychol, AFBPsS, FErgS, Eur.Erg, FIoN, FVRS. Bob Stone
holds a Chair in Interactive Multimedia Systems at the University of Birmingham, UK. He is also Director of Training
Systems & Human Factors at VP Defence Limited (Sale, Cheshire), part of the Virtalis Group of Companies. He
graduated from University College London in 1979 with a BSc in Psychology, and in 1981 with an MSc in Ergonomics
(Human Factors), and currently holds the position of Visiting Professor of Virtual Reality (VR) within the Faculty of
Medicine at Manchester University, where he is a co-director of the North of England Wolfson Centre for Human-
Centred Surgical Technologies. In 1996, he became an Academician of the Russian International Higher Education
Academy of Sciences (Moscow). Bob undertakes research into the human factors aspects of VR, with regular
contributions to projects in the fields of defense, surgery, cultural heritage, engineering and health and safety. His
recent work has concentrated on training analyses and VR content definition for the Royal Navy and Air Force (close-
range naval weapons, submarine training, the new NATO Submarine Rescue System and helicopter voice marshalling)
and on ergonomic/task analyses for the automotive industry, ear/nose/throat surgery and endoscopic robots. He is also
one of the Principal Investigators of the new UK Defence Technology Centre for Human Factors Integration. Bob is
one of Europe’s longest-standing pioneers in the field of VR, having in 1987 become one of the first Europeans to
experience the NASA Ames VIEW VR System. His work in telerobotics, VR and human factors has received a variety
of awards and he is regularly invited to keynote at major international events.
