Impedance active control of flight control devices

The work presented in this paper concerns the active control of flight control devices (sleeves, yokes, side-sticks, rudder pedals, ...). The objective is to replace conventional technologies by active technology to save weight and to feedback kinesthetic sensations to the pilot. Some architectures are proposed to control the device mechanical impedance felt by pilot and to couple pilot and co-pilot control devices. A first experimental test-bed was developed to validate and illustrate control laws and theirs limitations due to dynamic couplings with the pilot own-impedance.