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Wow, how did the fact that the G-forces will make it difficult to use voice commands or to interact with a touch screen not kill these F35 cockpit features a l

Wow, how did the fact that the G-forces will make it difficult to use voice commands or to interact with a touch screen not kill these F35 cockpit features a long time ago?

medium_burrito 6y ago
First, I'm curious if they use a throat mike or something bone conducting. Second, given how shitty voice interfaces are, I'm shocked they would use them at all. I assume the military funds a lot of EEG research- that would be ideal here.
- stickydink 6y ago
  Not sure how much I'd trust my brain for this kind of thing... Thinking "I better not press that eject button!" might be problematic
  - rtkwe 6y ago
    Ejection isn't on the screen it's the big yellow loop between their legs. https://martin-baker.com/products/mk16-ejection-seat-f-35/ https://martin-baker.com/products/mk16-ejection-seat-f-35/
- etrautmann 6y ago
  EEG requires highly stable signals. G forces would make any EEG measurements extremely unreliable.
- jandrese 6y ago
  According to the article the author knows of no pilots that use the voice interface. Given how finicky they are I can't say I'm surprised. Maybe with modern pseudo-AI systems they could be reliable enough to depend on, but none of that is in military hardware specced out 20 years ago.
  - medium_burrito 6y ago
    If you used the nato phonetic alphabet maybe, ie shortcodes for voice???
    - jandrese 6y ago
      It would probably help, but there is still the enormous noise floor to contend with. Jet Fighters are unbelievably loud. I mean that literally. If you've never watched one take off you would think I'm exaggerating the noise level. It's hard to describe because most people have never experienced something that loud.
- scarier 6y ago
  >I'm curious if they use a throat mike or something bone conducting. No, and no. Just good, old-fashioned microphones and speakers. If you're lucky, you have a set of "communication ear plugs" wired up to your helmet so the speakers in your earcups aren't trying to compete with engine noise and your ear plugs.
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
waiseristy 6y ago
These voice commands are usually just for changing radio settings and other non-essential functionality. Stuff that would be just as difficult to change with tactile switches in high G. The Eurofighter has been using a similar system since the 90's
mshockwave 6y ago
I only know some standard "anti-G" actions involve breathing really hard while keeping your lungs inflated. I guess that makes speaking more difficult?
JohnBooty 6y ago
To be really specific for those not aware, pilots need to do special breathing routines when under high g-forces. Deep, rapid breaths. They need to suck oxygen into their body as quickly and efficiently as possible to maintain consciousness, because the g-forces forces blood away from their heads and towards their legs and feet. Here's a "classic" video of a pilot successfully evading an unbelievable number of SAMs over Iraq. The rapid breathing might make you think he's panicking. Nope, he's got it 100% under control and is following training perfectly. Though I'm sure he certainly needed a drink after making it home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUjX1RntqVw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUjX1RntqVw There's also sort of a method of flexing their thighs that they learn. Restricts blood flow to the legs, so there's more blood for the rest of the body. That's a bit of an athletic endeavor in and of itself. Try flexing your thighs... now hold them that way for 5, 10, 20 minutes. Yikes. Anyway, how the hell could you even bark out voice commands while doing that sort of breathing!?!?

Wow, how did the fact that the G-forces will make it difficult to use voice commands or to interact with a touch screen not kill these F35 cockpit features a long time ago?

medium_burrito 6y ago

First, I'm curious if they use a throat mike or something bone conducting. Second, given how shitty voice interfaces are, I'm shocked they would use them at all. I assume the military funds a lot of EEG research- that would be ideal here.

stickydink 6y ago
Not sure how much I'd trust my brain for this kind of thing... Thinking "I better not press that eject button!" might be problematic
- rtkwe 6y ago
  Ejection isn't on the screen it's the big yellow loop between their legs. https://martin-baker.com/products/mk16-ejection-seat-f-35/ https://martin-baker.com/products/mk16-ejection-seat-f-35/
etrautmann 6y ago
EEG requires highly stable signals. G forces would make any EEG measurements extremely unreliable.
jandrese 6y ago
According to the article the author knows of no pilots that use the voice interface. Given how finicky they are I can't say I'm surprised. Maybe with modern pseudo-AI systems they could be reliable enough to depend on, but none of that is in military hardware specced out 20 years ago.
- medium_burrito 6y ago
  If you used the nato phonetic alphabet maybe, ie shortcodes for voice???
  - jandrese 6y ago
    It would probably help, but there is still the enormous noise floor to contend with. Jet Fighters are unbelievably loud. I mean that literally. If you've never watched one take off you would think I'm exaggerating the noise level. It's hard to describe because most people have never experienced something that loud.
scarier 6y ago
>I'm curious if they use a throat mike or something bone conducting. No, and no. Just good, old-fashioned microphones and speakers. If you're lucky, you have a set of "communication ear plugs" wired up to your helmet so the speakers in your earcups aren't trying to compete with engine noise and your ear plugs.

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]

waiseristy 6y ago

These voice commands are usually just for changing radio settings and other non-essential functionality. Stuff that would be just as difficult to change with tactile switches in high G. The Eurofighter has been using a similar system since the 90's

mshockwave 6y ago

I only know some standard "anti-G" actions involve breathing really hard while keeping your lungs inflated. I guess that makes speaking more difficult?

JohnBooty 6y ago

To be really specific for those not aware, pilots need to do special breathing routines when under high g-forces. Deep, rapid breaths. They need to suck oxygen into their body as quickly and efficiently as possible to maintain consciousness, because the g-forces forces blood away from their heads and towards their legs and feet. Here's a "classic" video of a pilot successfully evading an unbelievable number of SAMs over Iraq. The rapid breathing might make you think he's panicking. Nope, he's got it 100% under control and is following training perfectly. Though I'm sure he certainly needed a drink after making it home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUjX1RntqVw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUjX1RntqVw There's also sort of a method of flexing their thighs that they learn. Restricts blood flow to the legs, so there's more blood for the rest of the body. That's a bit of an athletic endeavor in and of itself. Try flexing your thighs... now hold them that way for 5, 10, 20 minutes. Yikes. Anyway, how the hell could you even bark out voice commands while doing that sort of breathing!?!?