Test Station with Purpose-Designed Test Panel
The test station is built particularly for testing. The test panel has joysticks, special buttons and an audio interface to accommodate for various test types.
PSS
Pilot Selection System
Easy and effective tests of cognitive abilities – for pilot selection or demonstration of the effects of extreme conditions
Needs
Screening persons to find the best candidates for the pilot job is a difficult task
The complexity of modern military and civil aircraft demands a significant investment in pilot training.
It is therefore important to select the persons who have the physical and mental abilities that are necessary to become a pilot or other flight personnel. When a trainee pilot is later found to be mentally unfit to accomplish missions successfully, valuable resources are wasted.
Especially difficult in pilot selection is the objective, structured and standardised assessment of cognitive abilities. Ideally, the assessment is based on the latest scientific findings in the field of psychology.
Another problem is that it is necessary to screen large groups of people to increase the chances to find the best personnel. The selection methods must therefore be computer-based, highly efficient and easy to use.
Solution
The PSS provides well-founded computerised tests with excellent usability for the subjects and the examiners
The Pilot Selection System is a very flexible system for computer-based tests of cognitive abilities. The tests provided with the system are developed by psychologists. Input devices used by the subjects are optimised for the tests and for best usability. Subjects can thus better focus on the test. There are less unwanted factors influencing the test results. Tests can use special keys, joysticks and sound. Simultaneous tests on multiple test stations are possible.
The system is client-server based and allows precise and meaningful reporting on the subjects’ performance. Its flexibility allows you to go beyond traditional testing in a classroom:
- Installation in a hypobaric chamber is possible. This allows you to demonstrate the effects of hypoxia on the cognitive abilities.
- Combination with a flight training device is possible. AMST can provide a generic flight simulator with motion platform and a small footprint which is ideal for pilot screening. Actively or passively flying in the simulator while taking tests increases the cognitive load on the subject. Tests taken in the future work environment become even more meaningful.
Benefits
The PSS has many advantages over paper-based or standard classroom testing
- Computerised, highly efficient testing
- Higher throughput of candidates
- Scientifically founded tests
- Can be used to screen candidate pilots but also to demonstrate to flight personnel how extreme conditions impair cognitive abilities
- Flexible: classroom or in combination with other training equipment
- Meaningful reports
- Results can be exported for use in other applications
- Customized training by expert psychologists helps you to get the best benefit from the system
Features
These features make the PSS incredibly useful
Reliable Client-Server Architecture
Test results are stored with the subjects’ master data in a central database on the server. The server’s data is secure with RAID and a UPS. Standard Ethernet is used to connect server, test stations and instructor station.
Instructor Station
The instructor station allows to centrally manage tests, manage master data and generate reports. Multiple instructor stations are possible to do the reporting and data analysis in an office.
Options
How to make the PSS even more useful
Usage for Hypoxia Awareness Training
The PSS can be installed in a hypobaric chamber. The equipment is tested for long-term usage at 30.000 feet and for short-term usage at 80.000 feet.
Generic Flight Simulator
The CSS is a generic flight simulator with a motion system. With its small footprint, you can always find a place for it, for example in your PSS classroom. With the CSS, a subject can take a test during active or passive flight.
References
PSS – Austria 2017
A monoplace test system is installed at AMST for demonstration and further development. The psychological test developed for the German Institute are further developed with additional tests.
PSS – Germany 2016
The PSS for the German Institute in Königsbrück was newly developped by AMST. The test system is installed inside the Hypobaric Chamber (6 test stations) and linked to an outside server. Psychological test are performed in high altitude.
PSS – Myanmar 2016
The PSS consists of a classroom for simulataneous psychological tests for 10 pilots (phase 1). In addition, a motion based simulator is installed for additional selection procedure (phase 2).
PSS – Vietnam 2015
The PSS consists of a classroom for simultaneous test of 8 pilots. Each pilot station is linked to a server where the instructor gets all test results. The system is installed at the military hospital in Hanoi.
PSS – Austria 2014
AMST has installed a PSS at the Austrian Military Hospital in Vienna. It consists of psychological tests and a simulator with a small motion system.