Assessing the Effectiveness of Oxygen Mask Simulations for Aviation Safety and Optimal Performance

Oxygen is an essential component for human survival, including in aviation operations. At cruising altitudes, air pressure decreases, which can trigger hypoxia and potentially threaten the safety of passengers and cabin crew. Therefore, every aircraft must be equipped with a reliable oxygen supply system, particularly to handle emergency conditions such as cabin depressurization. However, in the learning process, students’ understanding of the operational mechanisms of aircraft oxygen systems remains limited due to the scarcity of simulation-based practical learning media. This study aims to design and develop an aircraft oxygen system simulator as a learning tool for the Aircraft Cabin & Environment course. The research method applied is Research and Development (R&D), which includes several stages: problem identification, literature review, system design, device fabrication, testing, and data analysis. The simulator was developed using an STM32 microcontroller integrated with a BMP280 barometric pressure sensor, an LCD indicator, a DC motor, relay, buzzer, and an automatic oxygen mask mechanism. The test results indicate that the simulator is capable of representing cabin depressurization conditions across various altitude categories low, medium, and high. The indicator system accurately displays pressure and altitude values, while the oxygen masks can deploy automatically during simulated emergency conditions. Thus, the developed aircraft oxygen system simulator has been proven to function properly and is suitable as an educational medium to enhance students’ understanding of aircraft oxygen systems.