Australian Pilot Develops ‘GO Light’ System to Mitigate Spatial Disorientation

An Australian pilot, Russell Crane, has invented a Green Orientation Light (GO Light) system, which can help solve the spatial disorientation problem.

“Presently, to verify orientation when there are no visual cues, the pilot has to focus on their small attitude indicator (AI) instrument… However, this verification requires the pilot firstly to recognise that they may be disorientated and actively focus their attention on the AI,” Crane said in a statement.

However, the GO Light system will provide a constant reference point to the horizon in the pilot’s peripheral vision, which will continually keep him informed about the plane’s altitude. According to Crane, this will not only mitigate the issue of unrecognized spatial disorientation, but will also allow pilots to focus more on other instruments while being confident and aware about the plane’s altitude and orientation.

Ron Bartsch, the Chairman of AvLaw International said, “GO Light takes the concept of the AI and turns it into a constant part of the pilot’s subconscious perception. If this concept can be taken forward and commercialised, it could be the most important Australian aviation invention since the black box.”