A system for recording electrophysiological signals in flight

Area of Science:

• Aerospace Medicine
• Biomedical Engineering
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Electrophysiological monitoring of fighter pilots in-flight presents unique challenges due to high G-forces.
• Existing systems may struggle to maintain signal integrity and accuracy under extreme acceleration.
• Correlating physiological data with actual G-loads is essential for understanding pilot performance and safety.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and validate a novel preamplifying system for recording electrophysiological signals (ECG, EMG) in fighter pilots during flight.
• To integrate accelerometers for direct correlation of physiological data with flight accelerations.
• To assess the performance of the system under high-G conditions.

Main Methods:

• Development of a two-element wearable preamplifying system including ECG/EMG and 1-2 accelerometer channels.
• Performance characterization of accelerometers and the preamplifier.
• Testing of the recorder's performance on a centrifuge up to +10 G.
• Demonstration of surface EMG recording during head movements under high-G flight conditions.

Main Results:

• The preamplifying system successfully recorded electrophysiological signals correlated with accelerations.
• Accelerometer and preamplifier performance were measured and reported.
• Recorder performance remained stable up to +10 G, showing no frequency shift or harmonic distortion changes.
• Surface EMG from neck muscles during head movements under high-G was successfully captured.

Conclusions:

• The developed preamplifying system is suitable for in-flight electrophysiological monitoring of fighter aircrew.
• The system's ability to correlate signals with high G-loads is validated, offering valuable data for aviation research.
• This technology enhances the study of human physiological responses to extreme flight conditions.