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The College of Engineering and Computer Science at �鶹��Ʒ��Ƶ has received an in-kind grant for a United States Air Force T-1A Jayhawk Mixed Reality (MR) and 3D Motion flight simulator valued at approximately $4.5 million. Awarded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research to FAU’s Center for Connected Autonomy and Artificial Intelligence (CA-AI), this acquisition marks a key expansion of the university’s research infrastructure in artificial intelligence, autonomy, and aerospace systems. The simulator will be made available to the broader �鶹��Ʒ��Ƶresearch community and industry partners.

“This is a milestone for our college and for �鶹��Ʒ��Ƶ,” said Stella Batalama, Ph.D., dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science. “Having access to this advanced military-grade flight simulation technology on our campus elevates our research enterprise. The Jayhawk simulator will serve as a cornerstone of aviation training, research, and education at FAU, strengthening our leadership in AI, autonomy, human performance, and aerospace systems, while opening new doors for collaboration across the university and our federal and industry partners.”

The simulator replicates the cockpit configuration, flight characteristics, and operational environment of the T-1A Jayhawk, a medium-range, twin-engine jet aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force for advanced pilot training. As a mid-tier training device incorporating MR capabilities and a 3D-freedom motion platform, the system blends physical cockpit controls with immersive digital environments to create a highly realistic, data-rich research setting. The open-source, non-CUI software architecture allows investigators to modify flight models, integrate experimental algorithms, test adaptive autonomy frameworks, and evaluate advanced sensor fusion strategies in real time. Unlike live-aircraft testing, which can cost thousands of dollars per flight hour and is constrained by safety and operational limits, the simulator enables flying in repeatable, high-risk, and degraded-condition scenarios in a fully controlled environment.

Beyond its primary role in aviation-focused research, the T-1A Jayhawk simulator establishes a versatile, high-fidelity platform for a wide range of interdisciplinary studies across FAU. Its mixed-reality, motion-enabled environment allows faculty and students to explore human–machine interaction, autonomous decision-making, and real-time sensor fusion in complex, dynamic scenarios that would be unsafe or cost-prohibitive in real-world conditions. Researchers can study cognitive performance, situational awareness, stress, and decision-making under pressure, while testing new interfaces, control architectures, and AI-driven support systems.

“The T-1A Jayhawk simulator provides us with a reconfigurable, high-fidelity experimental platform to advance both foundational and applied research in autonomous decision-making, real-time sensor fusion, and trustworthy AI for safety-critical environments,” said Dimitris Pados, Ph.D., principal investigator, Schmidt Eminent Scholar Professor of Engineering and Computer Science in FAU’s Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, director of CA-AI, and an �鶹��Ʒ��ƵSensing Institute (I-SENSE) faculty fellow. “We will be able to rigorously test how intelligent systems perform alongside human operators and develop technologies that are robust, resilient, and aligned with mission requirements.”

The flight simulator also serves as a laboratory for neuroscience and biomedical research, enabling experiments on cognitive workload, motor control, fatigue, and human performance in immersive, controlled settings. Its capabilities support cross-disciplinary work in cybersecurity, systems engineering, robotics, and advanced manufacturing, providing a safe venue to prototype, evaluate, and refine emerging technologies.

Additionally, the simulator fosters collaborations with industry, government, and community partners, offering hands-on training for students across engineering, computer science, human factors, and related fields.

“In this way, the Jayhawk simulator is a campus-wide engine for innovation, education, and leading-edge experimentation in AI and complex systems,” said Batalama.

The expanded research footprint will directly support active federally funded projects, including NIH-supported computational neuroscience research and AFOSR, AFRL, and NSF-funded work in secure and trustworthy cyber-physical systems at CA-AI and �鶹��Ʒ��ƵEngineering.

“This capability changes what we can do as a research institution,” said Pados. “It empowers our faculty and students to explore complex, real-world challenges in a safe, rigorous, and highly adaptable environment. The Jayhawk simulator is more than a technological asset – it is an enabling platform that will help �鶹��Ʒ��Ƶcontinue shaping the future of autonomous systems, intelligent technologies, and next-generation aerospace innovation.”

The flight simulator is housed at �鶹��Ʒ��ƵTech Runway on the Boca Raton campus in newly allocated space designed to support multiple high-impact research initiatives.

The simulator replicates the cockpit configuration, flight characteristics, and operational environment of the T-1A Jayhawk, a medium-range, twin-engine jet aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force for advanced pilot training.

The exterior of the T-1A Jayhawk, a medium-range, twin-engine jet aircraft used by the U.S. Air Force for advanced pilot training.