Low-Cost Strain-Gauge Force-Sensing Sidestick for 6-DoF Flight Simulation: Design and Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation
Modern fly-by-wire (FBW) aircraft demand high-fidelity simulation systems for research and training, yet existing force-sensing solutions are often prohibitively expensive. This study presents the design, development, and validation of a low-cost, reconfigurable force-sensing sidestick. The system u...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/14/4476 |
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| author | Patrik Rožić Milan Vrdoljak Karolina Krajček Nikolić Jurica Ivošević |
| author_facet | Patrik Rožić Milan Vrdoljak Karolina Krajček Nikolić Jurica Ivošević |
| author_sort | Patrik Rožić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Modern fly-by-wire (FBW) aircraft demand high-fidelity simulation systems for research and training, yet existing force-sensing solutions are often prohibitively expensive. This study presents the design, development, and validation of a low-cost, reconfigurable force-sensing sidestick. The system utilizes four strain-gauge load cells to capture pure pilot force inputs, integrated with a 6-DoF non-linear flight model. To evaluate its performance, a pitch-angle tracking task was conducted with 16 participants (pilots and non-pilots). Objective metrics revealed that the control strategy was a primary determinant of performance. Participants employing a proactive feedforward control strategy exhibited roughly an order of magnitude lower tracking-error variance than those relying on reactive corrections. Subjective assessments using the Cooper-Harper scale and NASA-TLX corroborated the objective data, confirming the sidestick’s ability to differentiate control techniques. This work demonstrates an open-source platform that makes high-fidelity FBW simulation accessible for academic research, pilot training, and human factors analysis at a fraction of the cost of commercial systems. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-72a20871e7844866a3bea917789c49eb |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj-art-72a20871e7844866a3bea917789c49eb2025-08-20T03:56:47ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-07-012514447610.3390/s25144476Low-Cost Strain-Gauge Force-Sensing Sidestick for 6-DoF Flight Simulation: Design and Human-in-the-Loop EvaluationPatrik Rožić0Milan Vrdoljak1Karolina Krajček Nikolić2Jurica Ivošević3University of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaUniversity of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaUniversity of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaUniversity of Zagreb, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaModern fly-by-wire (FBW) aircraft demand high-fidelity simulation systems for research and training, yet existing force-sensing solutions are often prohibitively expensive. This study presents the design, development, and validation of a low-cost, reconfigurable force-sensing sidestick. The system utilizes four strain-gauge load cells to capture pure pilot force inputs, integrated with a 6-DoF non-linear flight model. To evaluate its performance, a pitch-angle tracking task was conducted with 16 participants (pilots and non-pilots). Objective metrics revealed that the control strategy was a primary determinant of performance. Participants employing a proactive feedforward control strategy exhibited roughly an order of magnitude lower tracking-error variance than those relying on reactive corrections. Subjective assessments using the Cooper-Harper scale and NASA-TLX corroborated the objective data, confirming the sidestick’s ability to differentiate control techniques. This work demonstrates an open-source platform that makes high-fidelity FBW simulation accessible for academic research, pilot training, and human factors analysis at a fraction of the cost of commercial systems.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/14/4476force-sensing joystickflight simulatorfly-by-wire (FBW)human-in-the-loop (HITL)pitch-angle trackingstrain gauge |
| spellingShingle | Patrik Rožić Milan Vrdoljak Karolina Krajček Nikolić Jurica Ivošević Low-Cost Strain-Gauge Force-Sensing Sidestick for 6-DoF Flight Simulation: Design and Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation Sensors force-sensing joystick flight simulator fly-by-wire (FBW) human-in-the-loop (HITL) pitch-angle tracking strain gauge |
| title | Low-Cost Strain-Gauge Force-Sensing Sidestick for 6-DoF Flight Simulation: Design and Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation |
| title_full | Low-Cost Strain-Gauge Force-Sensing Sidestick for 6-DoF Flight Simulation: Design and Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation |
| title_fullStr | Low-Cost Strain-Gauge Force-Sensing Sidestick for 6-DoF Flight Simulation: Design and Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Low-Cost Strain-Gauge Force-Sensing Sidestick for 6-DoF Flight Simulation: Design and Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation |
| title_short | Low-Cost Strain-Gauge Force-Sensing Sidestick for 6-DoF Flight Simulation: Design and Human-in-the-Loop Evaluation |
| title_sort | low cost strain gauge force sensing sidestick for 6 dof flight simulation design and human in the loop evaluation |
| topic | force-sensing joystick flight simulator fly-by-wire (FBW) human-in-the-loop (HITL) pitch-angle tracking strain gauge |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/14/4476 |
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