Business & GA

Rockwell Collins Eyes Voice Activated Cockpit

By Tish Drake | October 2, 2007
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Adacel, an Orlando, Fla.-based software developer, said it was selected by Rockwell Collins to develop to develop a Voice Activated Cockpit (VAC) interface for its Pro Line avionics suite. Adacel will provide a modified version of the system being developed for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter that will provide pilots with the capability to interact with avionics functions using voice commands. VAC will operate cooperatively with the avionics suite as an alternative to manual input. Basic features of the system include radio frequency selection and display interaction. Adacel’s plan for future versions of VAC include voice input to Autopilot, Flight Management System, Electronic Flight Bag interfaces and command macro’s for executing a series of inputs using a single voice command. The system is expected to begin flight testing in 2008 leading to DO -178B certification. "An accurate and consistently reliable voice recognition system reduces pilot workload and enhances operational efficiency," said Denny Helgeson, Rockwell Collins vice president and general manager for Business and Regional Systems.

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