Overview​

The Pilot Data Synchronization project is an open-source research infrastructure initiative designed to enable real-time data transfer from flight simulation environments into behavioral research platforms such as iMotions. This system bridges the gap between technical simulation data and applied human-subject research by allowing synchronized physiological and environmental measurements.

Originally developed to support aviation-focused behavioral studies, the platform has evolved into a modular, cross-platform telemetry relay suitable for a wide range of real-time human-in-the-loop research applications.

The Problem​

In many research environments, behavioral datasets and simulation-based telemetry operate in isolation. Researchers conducting experiments in simulated environments often lack:

• Reliable real-time data pipelines
• Cross-platform simulation compatibility
• Automated data validation and delivery
• Integration with commercial research platforms

This limits reproducibility, introduces manual data handling overhead, and significantly delays experimental analysis.

The Solution​

The Pilot Data Synchronization system solves this problem through an open, modular data pipeline composed of:

• X-Plane Plugin – extracts live simulation telemetry
• Baton IPC Layer – handles local inter-process communication
• Relay Server (Rust) – normalizes and transmits data streams
• iMotions Platform – consumes synchronized research events

The system currently supports continuous real-time transmission of:

• Altitude
• Airspeed
• Vertical Speed
• Heading

Data is streamed at millisecond resolution with verified stability across Mac and Windows environments.

System Architecture​

The data flow follows a layered safety and validation model:

1. X-Plane Plugin captures flight telemetry
2. Baton IPC transports structured payloads locally
3. Rust Relay performs normalization, safety checks, and transmission
4. iMotions receives validated research events

By isolating concurrency and memory safety inside the Rust relay, the system ensures high reliability even under sustained telemetry loads.

Technical Achievements​

This iteration achieved several critical milestones:

• Full real-time transmission of four synchronized flight metrics into iMotions
• Cross-platform build validation for Mac and Windows systems
• Rust-based network relay hardening with structured packet validation
• CI pipeline modernization with pinned toolchains and test automation
• Dynamic data visualization support for research validation

Most importantly, the system now enables live experimental workflows where researchers can observe simulation conditions and behavioral responses simultaneously.

Research Impact​

This integration directly enabled the completion of a long-running research workflow that had previously been blocked due to infrastructure limitations. By providing a stable, real-time data pipeline, researchers can now:

• Focus on behavioral analysis instead of data engineering
• Conduct reproducible, synchronized experiments
• Expand into multi-modal physiological and simulator-based studies

The system is now serving as active research infrastructure rather than a proof-of-concept prototype.

Open Source and Community Value​

The project emphasizes:

• Open modular architecture
• Strong documentation for onboarding
• Contributor-friendly issue tracking
• Cross-platform compatibility
• Research-driven product design

This makes the project suitable for future student teams, external open-source contributors, and interdisciplinary researchers.

Future Direction​

Planned next steps include:

• Dynamic IP handling for multi-host laboratory environments
• Automated device discovery
• Research-grade data loss detection
• Expanded real-time metrics pipeline
• Public API for additional simulation sources

Conclusion​

Pilot Data Synchronization demonstrates how open-source infrastructure can directly enable scientific research. By integrating flight simulation telemetry with behavioral research platforms, the project removes a significant technical barrier and creates new possibilities for human-simulation hybrid experiments.

This work highlights the value of sustainable, community-driven research software as a foundation for long-term experimental innovation.

Project Links​

• GitHub Repository:
  https://github.com/oss-slu/PilotDataSynchronization

This project is part of the Open Source with SLU initiative supporting sustainable research software and collaborative engineering education.

Code and Coffee is an informal and inclusive meetup that invites tech enthusiasts from all backgrounds and skill levels to connect, share ideas, and learn from one another. The event offers a welcoming atmosphere where people can learn something new, whether they're beginners or experienced professionals.

It was organized by JerMarco Britton and Denis Ikovlev.

Recently, I undertook the challenge of updating the 'About' page for open source with SLU at https://oss-slu.github.io/docs/about. This page includes About Us content alongside the profiles of the Leadership Team.

This semester, the Where's Religion Desktop and Mobile teams reached an incredible milestone by completing the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and launching the app's domain live. From refining the user interface to addressing technical challenges, this journey was filled with collaboration and problem-solving.

Open-source projects thrive on collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity. To ensure their sustainability and ethical development, well-defined governance structures are essential. I recently led a team discussion on open-source governance, focusing on key aspects like community participation, licensing, and decision-making processes.

Julie Turner presented the "Storytelling in Grant Writing" workshop, offering valuable insights into how narratives enhance grant proposals. The event highlighted strategies for combining emotional connection with data to create compelling grant narratives—an approach particularly relevant to researchers and developers working on open source and research software projects.

The workshop was facilitated by Jenna Gorlewicz, Associate Dean, who emphasized the importance of storytelling in communicating research vision effectively in grant applications. In her follow-up, Jenna noted that storytelling is an essential component of sharing the vision of research, making it a powerful tool for grant proposals across disciplines, including open source and research software development.

Siri presented the "Open-Source AI in Code Generation" workshop, guiding students with AI-driven tools. The event was a successful gathering of students and professors, held in a collaborative learning space.

Ruthvik presented the Pi4Micronaut. Students got hands-on practice using the pi4micronaut library. It was a great success that exceeded the expectations of all the planners.

Is it a 'Pi'e? Yes, we made a recipe named Pi4Micronaut with the base of Java using the ingredients like Micronaut and Pi4J. This is baked at Open Source with SLU research lab and served hot on a Raspberry Pi. Today, 3.14, we released version 1.0 into the Maven repostiry. Confused? Let me explain what is this all about.

We are coming up with a special recipe on the occasion of Pi Day, March 14.