Comparing different manual controllers in an Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft simulator under different wind conditions.

Abstract

The growing interest in electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft, supported by advances in aviation and automation technologies, presents new opportunities for urban air mobility. This study examined the effectiveness of three manual control interfaces for eVTOL operation under both wind and no-wind conditions. In a virtual reality (VR) simulator developed in Unity, participants completed vertical and horizontal flight paths using a flight control stick, a steering wheel, and a drone radio controller. Under wind, the flight stick was associated with faster task completion than the drone radio controller, and it was the most preferred controller, while flight accuracy did not differ significantly across controllers and subjective workload did not differ significantly between individual controllers. Cybersickness ratings did not differ significantly across controllers. These findings provide guidance for the development of ergonomic and reliable eVTOL control systems to support future urban transportation.