Clear-Com Assists in University of California Aerospace Training

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 headset and LQ series IP interfaces for connectivity.

Cutting-edge solutions from 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 communicating and controlling 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 State Polytechnic 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 how to operate communication systems and work as a team effectively and productively at a ground control station.".

Learning and understanding on how to foster seamless communications between autonomous aircraft (with reserve pilot on board) And soil is mission critical. “Our ground station is one of the most important parts of this laboratory to introduce students to the way they speak by Intercoms. That's why we chose Clear-Com”, says Iscold. "With Clear-Com, We go further because students don't just 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 most delicate points of communication system design and operational protocols -Simplex vs. Duplex, Partyline vs. Peer-to-Peer Communications, and even the general discipline of communications- 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”, clarifies Iscold. "In this case, The aim 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 simulations, We can pause, Take off our headphones and ask ourselves: How can we improve?? How can we be more effective?? With airplanes, No pause button”.

The goal is to provide hands-on experience using the tools and systems graduates will encounter in real-world operating environments.. They will learn how to inform test pilots and how to view and analyze data in real time. They are soft skills that, according to Iscold, Aerospace engineers “rarely learn in 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 consisting of a Eclipse HX matrix intercom system (with a IP interface high density E-IPA), four Iris panels, Multiple headsets CC-400 E IP interfaces of the LQ series for connectivity.

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

While rotating students in and out of the lab, the capabilities provided by Agent-IC and Station-IC allow those who are not physically present to hear, learn and understand the language and flow of proper communication.

“Our ground station looks like what you see in NASA or Space X rocket launches.”, explains Iscold, “with engineers sitting in front of screens as data goes down, 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 offered by Clear-Com was a determining factor for us.".

Integrating an HCI license into the array makes the system even more sophisticated than many real workstations. “We are using an intercom on several 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.”

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