September 22, 2015
Photo credit: Luther Caverly

New director of Carleton Aerospace applauds increased levels of collaboration at Carleton

Aerospace engineers of today need to master many diverse skills. There’s not only the electrical and physical problems to worry about when making an airplane – you also have to make sure that the people operating it can easily find the controls and work safely.

This means that engineers can’t just think as engineers any more. They also have to consider factors such as psychology, and a field called human factors (which basically means designing for usability).

Carleton is working hard to integrate this interdisciplinary thinking into its aerospace engineering program. This means involving people from other departments that may not necessarily be trained in aviation themselves, but can apply other skills to improve the outcomes for those creating the airplanes.

We have some really strong groups, so bringing people together more than we did traditionally is a major priority. A prime example of this is Carleton’s Advanced Cognitive Engineering Laboratory, or ACELab, which integrates how humans think and perceive their environment into aviation design.

“We have a lot of exceptional facilities and some quite amazing labs,” says Jeremy Laliberte, the new director of Carleton Aerospace and associate professor at Carleton’s mechanical and aerospace engineering program. Carleton Aerospace is one of the largest and the most comprehensive academic aerospace research programs in Canada with a wide range of unique, state-of-the-art research facilities.

“We have some really strong groups, so bringing people together more than we did traditionally is a major priority,” he says.

A prime example of this is Carleton’s Advanced Cognitive Engineering Laboratory, or ACELab, which integrates how humans think and perceive their environment into aviation design.

Its projects include helping aging pilots sharpen their skills, understanding how “working memory” (the immediate tasks being dealt with in our heads) affect situational awareness, and improving simulators to make them as real-world as possible.

Researchers are also being brought in from Carleton’s biology and industrial design programs, among others, to bring in thinking from different departments and improve the quality of aviation research at the university.

“When you look at aerospace products, aircraft and spacecraft, they are the most complex moving engineering products ever created. They require inputs from many different disciplines,” Laliberte says.

For example, a typical aircraft engine not only requires knowledge on how an engine works, but also advanced materials to keep it lightweight, and insulation to keep the sound down and heat from transferring outwards, he said.

Researchers are also being brought in from Carleton’s biology and industrial design programs, among others, to bring in thinking from different departments and improve the quality of aviation research at the university.

Students from all over the university are being encouraged to participate in this research, even from fields as diverse as public affairs and psychology. This allows Carleton to expand its aviation research without necessarily needing to add more expensive facilities – it uses resources that are already in place.

There are several examples of this research taking place. One is a simulator at Carleton that was built by undergrad students and is continually improved every year.

The sphere of the simulator is assembled and it includes a pilot chair, but the students are still working on making it moveable and fully functional. This requires work on the motors, actuators (motors that control a mechanism or system), the control systems and other fine details. The simulator should be ready for basic work in the spring of 2016.

Additionally, there are several students involved in an unmanned aerial vehicle project. The UAV industry has vastly expanded in recent years, with applications ranging from surveying fields for plant health to monitoring pipelines for breaks, at reduced cost. Carleton has a long-standing relationship with local surveyor Sander Geophysics, which is interested in the technology for its business, Laliberte said.

“Everything we do is geared towards getting the students the skills they need to be successful in the industry,” Laliberte adds. Some students work for traditional big companies, either as engineers or in management-track positions. Others join more nimble start-ups – or even start companies of their own.

We have so many people on campus in different departments and faculties becoming active in the sector, from other degrees and disciplines,” he says. “That’s our big strength here that sets us apart from the rest.

An example is RME Geomatics, a UAV company created by Carleton graduates Chris Pollowick and Curtis Parks. Originally called NGF Geomatics, the company was eventually bought out by Rocky Mountain Equipment, which builds and sells agriculture technology equipment.

The core aerospace program at Carleton is strong, Laliberte says, including a “full package” of undergraduate programs that stretch across many disciplines: aerodynamics, electronics, and space systems to name a few. With master’s and PhD programs available as well, this offers research opportunities that few schools in Canada approach, he said.

“We have so many people on campus in different departments and faculties becoming active in the sector, from other degrees and disciplines,” he says. “That’s our big strength here that sets us apart from the rest.”

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