Clear-Com assists in aerospace training at the University of California

The Autonomous Flight Laboratory (AFL) of the California Polytechnic University has a system Clear-Com integrated by an Eclipse HX system, four Iris panels, multiple CC-400 headsets and LQ series IP interfaces for connectivity.

The cutting-edge solutions of Clear-Com have been deployed in the Autonomous Flight Laboratory (AFL) of the California Polytechnic State University to better prepare students for the real-world challenges of communication and control of unmanned aerial systems (UAS).

In order to better prepare students for real-world challenges in communication and control of unmanned aerial systems (Unmanned Aerial Systems – UAS), California Polytechnic State University has deployed a Clear-Com system at its Autonomous Flight Laboratory (AFL).

The goal of this program is for students to gain hands-on experience using industry-standard communications infrastructure., explains the associate professor, Paulo Iscold. “We want to teach aerospace engineering students to manage communication systems and work as a team effectively and productively in a ground control station”.

Learning and understanding how to foster seamless communications between autonomous aircraft (with reserve pilot on board) and the soil is mission critical. “Our ground station is one of the most important parts of this lab to introduce students to how to speak. intercoms. That's why we choose Clear-Com”, said Iskold. “Con Clear-Com, We go further because students not only talk to the aircraft, but with others inside the control room, learning to work collectively on the same problems”.

Aerospace engineering students accumulate a wealth of technical knowledge during their studies. However, the finer points of communication system design and operating protocols -Simplex vs. Duplex, Partyline communications vs. point-to-point, and even the general discipline of communications- They are not usually taught in similar programs.

“The analogy I use is that we teach students to be musicians, but we never let them play the instrument”, Iscold clarifies. "In this case, The objective is to teach students to use their 'instrument' instinctively., not only rehearsing for future performances with flight simulators, but essentially putting them on stage with manned aircraft. With the simulations, can we take a break, take off our headphones and ask ourselves: How can we improve? How can we be more effective? with the planes, there is no pause button”.

The goal is to provide hands-on experience using the tools and systems that graduates will encounter in real-world operating environments.. They will learn how to brief test pilots and how to view and analyze data in real time. They are soft skills that, according to Iscold, aerospace engineers “They rarely learn at school and, instead, have to develop during their professional life”.

Built from scratch during the summer of this year, The ground station portion of the AFL features a Clear-Com system comprised of a Eclipse HX matrix intercom system (with a card IP interface high density E-IPA), four Iris panels, multiple headphones CC-400 e interfaces IP of the serie LQ for connectivity.

Besides, the laboratory will incorporate the mobile application Agent-IC from Clear-Com and the tool Station-IC Virtual Desktop Client to provide students with remote connectivity. Since the program serves 120 students annually, and only ten can occupy the laboratory simultaneously, remote connectivity is a necessary asset.

As students rotate in and out of the lab, The capabilities provided by Agent-IC and Station-IC allow those not physically present to listen, learn and understand the language and flow of proper communication.

“Our ground station looks like what you see on NASA or Space X rocket launches”, Iscold explains., “with engineers sitting in front of screens while data streams down them, communicating with each other, with the flight director and air traffic control. We have to teach students to handle all that communication simultaneously., so the flexibility that Clear-Com offers was a determining factor for us”.

Integrating an HCI license into the matrix makes the system even more sophisticated than many real workstations. “We are using an intercom on various frequencies and changing them at the other checkpoints. That flexibility - and the ability to integrate Clear-Com with other components at the ground station- It was very important to us.”