VisionAire has revealed new details of its teaming arrangement with Iowa State University to develop a voice control system for its Vantage single-engined composite business jet.
The work is aimed at developing a voice recognition and synthesis system for cockpit control of secondary switching functions such as navigation and landing lights, temperature controls, passenger entertainment and telephones.
VisionAire, which hopes to complete certification flight tests of the Vantage in November 1999, says that the proposed system will be made up of a custom-built IBM personal computer, voice controlled software written by the university team and an interface card or micro-controlled device driver.
The system, which is also intended to be available for installation in other aircraft, shares some features with a similar concept being explored by Honeywell for its Epic avionics system.
VisionAire and the University are also designing a flightdeck lighting control system which will be offered for use on other aircraft.
VisionAire, meanwhile, is preparing for two major programme milestones in July: the completion of production design of structures and systems and the critical design review. Parts for the first two conformal certification aircraft, VT-1 and VT-2, are to begin arriving in August at the company's recently completed assembly site in Ames, Iowa. The first flight of P-1, the initial production aircraft, is due in June 1999.
Source: Flight International
