Planning Virtually Everything
I am the manager of a very unique research facility at NASA Ames Research Center called FutureFlight Central.
FutureFlight Central is a virtual control tower - a full-scale mock-up of a real airport control tower. It is used to do live simulations of airport traffic.���The virtual control tower creates an environment very much like what air traffic controllers experience in the real world.
The facility is used by people who want to know how a new runway or a new procedure will work out, before building it. FutureFlight Central lets them test changes that are planned for airports in complete safety.
I have worked here at NASA Ames as a computer engineer in many other research areas. I began by developing software to run flight simulators. Computer programs accurately model the performance of different types of aircraft, and provide motion cues, a visual scene, force-feel control instruments, and sound. Flight simulators are useful for many different aspects of aeronautical research such as developing new pilot displays, flight procedures, or even new aircraft.
Another area in which I have worked is human factors. It is useful for finding ways to improve the human interface to machines such as airplanes or robots.
For example, researchers of graphical user interfaces, or GUIs (pronounced "gooeys") look for better ways to present complex information to humans. I helped turn ideas into experiments by writing computer programs to test theories, running them with human subjects, recording data, and analyzing it. On one project, computers managed complex temperature control of experiments, living quarters, etc. for the International Space Station. We had to provide ways for the astronaut to get information easily from the computer, and to understand what the computer was thinking, and why.
The most enjoyable aspect of my job is working on projects that will make a difference in the future. For example, people may be able to travel by air more quickly or safely some day because of what we are doing in FutureFlight Central.
I am married with two college-age children. I always encouraged them to put their best effort into everything they do and to try and get along with people.
One final word of wisdom: Don't be afraid to try new things, or new ways. Be open-minded. If you can, choose your career path, don't just wait to see what happens. Whatever you do, go to college and get a degree.
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