EARTHBOUND pilots who fly remote-controlled aircraft such as the American Predators roving Afghanistan could one day don a virtual-reality body suit to get a better feel for how their aircraft is flying. Unlike today’s pilots, they will be able to sense everything from a crosswind or clear-air turbulence to a birdstrike—as realistically as if they were sitting in the cockpit.
The people who control remotely piloted aircraft crash them less often and track targets better if they get some sort of tactile feedback. One way to do this is to feed vibrations, such as those caused by turbulence, through…
