The use of a tactile device to measure an illusion

Abstract

A device known as the tactile perceived attitude transducer (TPAT) has been fabricated which makes use of the subject's hand and forearm to describe perceived attitude. The first experiment involving the use of the TPAT was an attempt to quantify the G-excess effect. This effect is the basis for a pilot illusion that can cause overbanking of an aircraft. The G-excess illusion is an exaggerated sensation of body tilt caused by a greater than 1 Gz acceleration on the otolith organs of the vestibular system. The experimental design includes several tests of the TPAT as a cross modal measurement technique. The use of the TPAT in this experiment has resulted in an expanded and progressive experimental design which is considerably larger and more complex than a typical experiment on the DES (Dynamic Environment Simulator). However, the design provides a unique opportunity to carefully examine the cross modal matching of two metrics involved in a complex blending of the visual and vestibular systems.<>