Summer 2008

It's not quite "plug-and-play" technology, but Oculus is designed to come pretty close.

Oculus is the name for an airborne test platform under development by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) researchers in collaboration with West Virginia University. The project is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Defense.

"It's used for airborne testing of sensors and high-speed communications links," explains Bill Robinson, a GTRI senior research scientist. The platform can also accommodate testing and evaluation of mission computers.

The base system consists of two palletized modules. One is the operator's station and includes the mission computer, power supplies for payload, command and control modules for payload, and data collection equipment. The other pallet is a mounting platform for the devices to be tested.

Recent improvements to Oculus include removable modular electronics enclosures and a removable modular sensor pod, the addition of electromagnetic interference shielding and larger electrical work areas.

Besides its favorable performance-to-cost ratio, another benefit of Oculus is its ease of use, Robinson says. "It's a roll-on, roll-off platform with no modifications necessary to the aircraft," he adds, explaining that both pallets are designed to load onto C-130E or C-130H models just as cargo would be loaded. The process takes fewer than 45 minutes, and testing can begin within three minutes after takeoff.

Safety-of-flight testing with an Oculus prototype was completed in the spring of 2007. The next tasks are to conduct an operational utilization evaluation and obtain flight certification approval for an integrated payload.

According to Robinson, future Oculus enhancements might include standardized sensor interfaces, a larger operator's station, satellite communications and GPS antenna installed in Oculus' upper hatches, a tracking microwave or optical high-bandwidth data link, and new designs to accommodate Oculus in other C-130 models as well as in other types of aircraft.

– Gary Goettling