what's the next big thing?

A

anandaleon

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Mar 19, 2013
Messages
17
Location
Fl
Display Name
Display name:
Ani86
Hey Guys,

Here at Levil we have so many good projects lined up for the future, and we need your help deciding where to put our efforts and investments first.

What we do: iPad/Android compatible AHRS/GPS/ADS-B that basically turns your tablet into a complete glass cockpit and offers wireless communication between aircraft equipment www.aviation.levil.com

Benefits: Affordable AI backups, subscription-less weather and TRAFFIC for the first time, super intuitive flight planning and flight following on paper-less charts.

Our mission: Provide innovative solutions that are affordable to any pilot and enhance situational awareness.

Some projects relate only to the experimental and Light Sport community but everyone can participate...

What capabilities would you LOVE to have on your tablet ? Please provide your answer in order of "Most definitely" to.. "I don't really care"..

1. Flight Recording and analysis: plots your flight, including g-load, vertical speeds, engine information, unusual attitudes etc.. particularly helpful for flight schools and instructors

2. Autopilot: You have your flight-plan loaded on your App, send destination to your autopilot from your tablet and have the airplane take you there.

3. Airplane electrical system: Have your tablet display status and visual alarms for all your electrical systems, flaps, landing gear, circuit breaker etc..

4. Radio Control: Set your radios using the tablet's interface

5. Google Glass /HUD: Virtual EFIS using Google Glass

Example answer: 3,1,5,2,4

Also, if you have any innovative ideas that you'd like to see come true... let us know..

Ananda Leon

Levil Technology
"Bringing innovation and technology to Flight"
 
5 really interests me. The other stuff would seem to require something to be installed or swapped out on my certified aircraft which pretty much guarantees it to be too expensive.
 
Real simple....

YES. All of it.
 
I don't like this dependency on the tablets, for basic maps/charts/weather reference it is OK but for other stuff I prefer to touch things directly on my panel, also your head doesn't go down so much when you are interacting with the systems built into the panel. I would never care for such critical systems like landing gears, flaps, etc have info sent to the tablet, piloting is not a video game. A real HUD-like experience would be very nice to have.
 
Last edited:
I'd say the main reason to feed stuff like landing gear and flap information to the tablet would be for logging purposes. I don't even see why the indicators present for those things on most panels are insufficient.... in my case I'm fixed gear and my flap "information" is where I left the handle.

I can see having a panel dock for a tablet and using it as an MFD just as long as you had an alternate way of getting all information critical for flying/navigating if the tablet fails.
 
#2 would be my first choice. I'd guess you'd need some kind of wifi or Bluetooth dongle on the autopilot head to talk to the tablet and feed the info to the AP.
 
bullwinkle said:
#2 would be my first choice. I'd guess you'd need some kind of wifi or Bluetooth dongle on the autopilot head to talk to the tablet and feed the info to the AP.
Click to expand...
Aspen Avionics already offers such a thing - you can send your flight plan from an Ipad to their navigation module wireless (I don't think you want to interact with autopilot through Ipad).
 
Last edited:
Same as Cowman: #5 (Google Glass, or some other HUD system) seems like it has some interesting possibilities, all the others don't seem as relevant since I own a certified plane.
 
The only one of those that doesn't scare the HELL out of me is #1. Maybe #4, but it's really not that hard to tune radios. Garmin 430s have that feature.

You want a tablet controlling an airplane or providing critical warnings? Those are very bad ideas. You cannot make that safe unless you control the hardware.

For post flight analysis, a tablet going TU at the wrong time is irritating. A tablet losing an annunciation or commanding a full-deflection pitch up or hard roll at fast cruise is much worse than that.
 
I have a friend who is working with Google Glass and he thinks its going be as big as the iPhone and iPad.
 
Spiritinthesky said:
I have a friend who is working with Google Glass and he thinks its going be as big as the iPhone and iPad.
Click to expand...

Gawd, I hope not. I don't want to have everybody I see filming me, using facial recognition to ID and cyberstalk me. Glass has some uses, but I wish they had NOT included a camera that can record.
 
MAKG1 said:
The only one of those that doesn't scare the HELL out of me is #1. Maybe #4, but it's really not that hard to tune radios. Garmin 430s have that feature.

You want a tablet controlling an airplane or providing critical warnings? Those are very bad ideas. You cannot make that safe unless you control the hardware.

For post flight analysis, a tablet going TU at the wrong time is irritating. A tablet losing an annunciation or commanding a full-deflection pitch up or hard roll at fast cruise is much worse than that.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback guys... for those who are not familiar with the iLevil technology, the iLevil is the actual hardware that sends the pitch/roll/GPS data to the display...the tablet is just displaying the data.. It would be easier to use the internal gyros on the tablet, but they aren't quite reliable for aviation purposes.

That's where the iLevil comes in and so we do have control of the data. It would be similar as putting a bluetooth transmitter to each panel mounted instruments so you could display the same data on an iPad, except the iLevil integrates all the instruments in a small box for backup purposes. It is an alternative solution for pilots who can't afford a glass panel.

The tablet is perfect for entering information such as your flight plan and speed altitude bugs, or displaying information from other systems.

I understand it is exciting technology for some and scarry to others.. that's why I love forums.. it gives us perspective.. keep the feedback coming... :goofy:
 
Agreed with MAKG; integration with the airplane introduces dependencies and failure modes. I'd want an air gap, too.

Anticipating a pilot's needs reduces workload. Adding things to the visual scan increases workload.

I'd like reminders, preferably aural reminders, that are event-driven (did something change along my route of flight?) or context-sensitive (did I just level off at my target cruise altitude? remind me to run my cruise checklist). Similarly, remind me if I've deviated from my planned track or altitude, or exceeded a cross track error tolerance.
 
Last edited:
GeorgeC said:
Agreed with MAKG; integration with the airplane introduces dependencies and failure modes. I'd want an air gap, too.

Anticipating a pilot's needs reduces workload. Adding things to the visual scan increases workload.

I'd like reminders, preferably aural reminders, that are event-driven (did something change along my route of flight?) or context-sensitive (did I just level off at my target cruise altitude? remind me to run my cruise checklist). Similarly, remind me if I've deviated from my planned track or altitude, or exceeded a cross track error tolerance.
Click to expand...

Heads up that help you stay ahead of the a/c are nice. Warning that you busted your altitude or a TFR popped up along your route or even a runway at your destination/alternate was just notam'd closed. Destination WX approaching and/or just went below your IFR/VFR minimums.

Not sure the feasibility but its fun to dream.
 
anandaleon said:
1. Flight Recording and analysis: plots your flight, including g-load, vertical speeds, engine information, unusual attitudes etc.. particularly helpful for flight schools and instructors
Click to expand...

YES!!! But maybe I love this because I'm a data geek and I'm still ****ed that CloudAhoy is going to a subscription model that is way overpriced (IMO). I've found the data logged by the G1000 to be extremely valuable for reviewing flights.

2. Autopilot: You have your flight-plan loaded on your App, send destination to your autopilot from your tablet and have the airplane take you there.
Click to expand...


Assuming a certified airplane, you'd either have to make a certified interface or work through Aspen's Connected Panel device. But yes, that'd be cool.

3. Airplane electrical system: Have your tablet display status and visual alarms for all your electrical systems, flaps, landing gear, circuit breaker etc..

4. Radio Control: Set your radios using the tablet's interface
Click to expand...

These sound like they'd be pretty expensive for certified airplanes. And #4 doesn't really help enough to make it worth the price it'd be, IMO.

5. Google Glass /HUD: Virtual EFIS using Google Glass
Click to expand...

That'd be pretty cool.

So, in order: 1,5,2,3,4
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top