Pilot fatigue detection system and method from aircraft control device movement

1. A pilot fatigue detection system for an aircraft that includes at least an airframe and a pilot-operated aircraft control device, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to detect movements of the aircraft control device and provide a signal representative of detected movements of the aircraft control device; and

a processor coupled to receive the signal representative of the detected movements of the aircraft control device from the sensor, the processor configured, upon receipt of the signal, to determine when the pilot is fatigued,

wherein:

the processor implements a model that has been trained by a machine learning algorithm to determine when the pilot is fatigued;

the machine learning algorithm was experimentally developed to detect control device movement patterns that are representative of both alert pilots and fatigued pilots; and

the model is adaptable, in real-time, to individual pilots to be further trained and tuned to a current pilot.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate an alert signal upon determining that the pilot is fatigued.

3. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a pilot feedback device coupled to receive the alert signal and configured, upon receipt thereof, to generate pilot feedback.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the pilot feedback device is configured to generate one or more of aural, visual, and haptic pilot feedback.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein:

the signal representative of the detected movements of the aircraft control device is a first signal and the sensor is a first sensor, the first sensor coupled to the aircraft control device;

the system further comprises a second sensor coupled to the airframe, the second sensor configured to detect movements of the airframe and provide second signal representative thereof; and

the processor is further coupled to receive the second signal and is further configured to compare the first and the second signals to thereby detect the movements of the aircraft control device only.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein one or both of the first and second sensors comprise inertial measurement units (IMUs).

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein one or both of the first and second sensors are disposed within hand-held devices that are removable from the aircraft.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a fly-by-wire system configured to supply the signal representative of the detected movements of the aircraft control device.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect frequency and intensity of the movements of the aircraft control device; and

determine when the pilot is fatigued based on the detected frequency and intensity of the movements.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

the processor is further coupled to receive an aircraft altitude signal representative of aircraft altitude; and

the processor is further configured, upon receipt of the aircraft altitude signal, to (i) determine a variance in aircraft altitude over a predetermined period of time and (ii) use the variance to determine when the pilot is fatigued.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted to receive an autopilot engagement signal that indicates aircraft autopilot is engaged, the processor is further configured, upon receipt of the autopilot engagement signal, to stop determining when the pilot is fatigued.

12. A method of detecting pilot fatigue in an aircraft that includes at least an airframe and a pilot-operated aircraft control device, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting, with a first sensor that is coupled to the aircraft control device, movements of the aircraft control device;

detecting, with a second sensor that is coupled to the airframe, movements of the airframe;

detecting frequency and intensity of the movements of the aircraft control device; and

determining when the pilot is fatigued based on the frequency and intensity of the detected movements of the aircraft control device and the detected movements of the airframe.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising generating an alert upon determining that the pilot is fatigued.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

generating one or more of an aural, visual, and haptic alert upon determining that the pilot is fatigue.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

comparing the detected movements of the aircraft control device and the detected movements of the airframe to thereby detect the movements of the aircraft control device only.

16. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

processing an aircraft altitude signal representative of aircraft altitude to (i) determine a variance in aircraft altitude over a predetermined period of time and (ii) use the variance to determine when the pilot is fatigued.

17. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

detecting when the aircraft autopilot is engaged; and

stopping the determination of when the pilot is fatigued upon detecting that the aircraft autopilot is engaged.

18. A pilot fatigue detection system for an aircraft that includes at least an airframe and a pilot-operated aircraft control device, the system comprising:

a first sensor adapted to be coupled to the aircraft control device, the first sensor configured, upon being coupled to the aircraft control device, to detect movements of the aircraft control device and provide first signals representative thereof;

a second sensor coupled to the airframe, the second sensor configured to detect movements of the airframe and provide second signals representative thereof; and

a processor coupled to receive the first signals and the second signals, and adapted to receive an autopilot engagement signal, the processor configured, upon receipt of the first signals and the second signals, to determine when the pilot is fatigued and generate an alert signal upon determining that the pilot is fatigued, the processor further configured, upon receipt of the autopilot engagement signal, to not determine when the pilot is fatigued.