- Training students in flight mechanics & control, simulation, and mechatronics
- Simulation of manned and unmanned aircraft in airspace, including cooperation and coordination during missions
- Teaching and development of intelligent path planning and control for drone swarms
- System integration and hardware-in-the-loop simulation for prototype development and demonstration applications
Flight Mechanics Laboratory (G001)
The Flight Mechanics Laboratory explores all aspects of flight physics, from flight mechanics and control to simulation, covering everything from micro-air vehicles (MAVs) to large aircraft. The lab is closely connected with aviation engineering courses and cutting-edge research projects.
Simulation plays a central role in our work. The lab features real-time UAV simulators as well as an A320 cockpit simulator for studying human-machine interaction.
But theory is just the beginning: students and researchers also build their own aircraft, configure them, and carry out test flights, both inside the lab and in practical outdoor settings.
In our indoor tracking area, micro-air vehicles can be flown with millimeter-accurate positioning, enabling complex swarm coordination. This allows algorithms to be tested and refined directly in practice. Once the setup is validated, further test flights take place at the model airfield.
Goals and Vision
Laboratory G001
Hands-on discussion of the design
Flight Simulator Cockpit
Cockpit Frame
Wind tunnel model of a small UAV
Final adjustments before the maiden flight of a VTOL prototype
Assembly of the prototype before its maiden flight
Mobile command center
Steuerung von Drohnen mit Hilfe von Mixed-Reality-Brillen.Mixed Reality Headset
VTOL Project by Students
First test flight of the current iteration of the modular VTOL UAV demonstrator.
The conception, design, manufacturing, and testing are carried out entirely by students under the guidance of instructors from the TTZ and industry partners as part of their project work.
Laboratory Facilities and Activities
Devices and Function
Cockpit Simulator
The cockpit simulator replicates a two-person cockpit of a commercial transport aircraft, including its primary control elements. Touch-screen displays allow for the visualization of modern flight instruments and their further development. The dome projection provides the pilot with a realistic view from the cockpit.
Equipped with an eye-tracking system, the pilot’s attention can be precisely analyzed, enabling the development of advanced pilot assistance systems.
Ground Station Simulator
The ground station serves as a workstation for a flight test engineer, monitoring test flights or simulating a ground communication station. Complex aviation scenarios and cooperative airspace operations can be realistically represented here.
Motion Tracking System
Using the OptiTrack motion tracking system, a 15 × 5 m area in the lab is available for indoor drone flights. Flight positions can be determined with sub-millimeter accuracy, allowing for the execution of highly precise and complex scenarios.
Test Stand for Novel Aircraft
Equipped with a 6-DOF force/torque balance and sensors for measuring power consumption, this test stand allows for the static testing and measurement of a wide variety of aircraft.
Speedgoat Real-Time Target Machines
Real-time hardware enables the creation of simulation models in Matlab/Simulink, which can be executed as real-time applications. When connected to target hardware, realistic operational scenarios can be simulated, and all components can be tested together in an integrated system.
Aerial Platforms
- Pelikan UAV
- ModalAI RB5 Quadcopter Swarm (7 units)
- Various custom-built drones based on the Pixhawk / PX4 architecture
Software
- Matlab/Simulink for real-time simulation environments using Real-Time Target Machines
- X-Plane 12 for flight physics calculations and environmental visualization in the cockpit simulator
- FS-FlightControl as a ground station application for: cockpit simulator control, flight test engineer workstation, and ground communication stations
- Various software development environments, including Microsoft Visual Studio, Qt Creator, and more
- In-house developed software: “THI Flight Deck” – avionics system for the cockpit simulator
Teaching Modules
Practical Courses Accompanying Lectures:
- Avionics
- Flight Mechanics
- Aeronautical Engineering
- Aircraft Systems Design (Master)
- Human Factors in the Aircraft Cockpit: Theory and Simulator-Based Testing
Other Activities:
- Student projects, e.g., “Flight Drone”
- Bachelor’s and Master’s theses
- Industry projects
Special Events:
- Demonstrations at the UAM Network Meeting
- BRK Drone events in disaster relief
- Additional events: University Open Days, Girls’ Day, Technology Day, school class visits
Laboratory Management & Team
Head of TTZ Unmanned Aerial Systems
Prof. Dr. techn. Gerhard Elsbacher
Phone: +49 841 9348-4412
Room: K309
E-Mail: Gerhard.Elsbacher@thi.de
Prof. Dr. techn. Gerhard Elsbacher
Phone: +49 841 9348-4412
Room: K309
E-Mail: Gerhard.Elsbacher@thi.de
Research Professor, Associate Program Director for the “Intelligent Aerial Systems” (Master's program)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Simon Schwerd
Phone: +49 841 9348-6417
Room: K210
E-Mail: Simon.Schwerd@thi.de
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Simon Schwerd
Phone: +49 841 9348-6417
Room: K210
E-Mail: Simon.Schwerd@thi.de
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Korbinian Stadlberger
Phone: +49 841 9348-4416
Room: A225
E-Mail: Korbinian.Stadlberger@thi.de
Phone: +49 841 9348-4416
Room: A225
E-Mail: Korbinian.Stadlberger@thi.de
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