Sensor Fusion and Display for Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) Navy SBIR FY2008.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2008.2 Topic No.: N08-126 Topic Title: Sensor Fusion and Display for Degraded Visual Environment (DVE) Proposal No.: N082-126-1054 Firm: CG2, Inc., a Quantum3D Company 6330 San Ignacio Avenue San Jose, California 95119 Contact: Lisa Spencer Phone: (407) 737-8800 Web Site: www.cg2.com Abstract: Brownout is the number one operational problem facing military rotorcraft today. Visual obscuration, combined with nose-up attitude during landing, make identification of landing area hazards difficult or impossible. To address this problem, CG2 is proposing a system that combines data from a LIDAR sensor and CCD or IR cameras mounted on the rotorcraft with telemetry to produce a synthetic vision display that allows the helicopter to land safely. The system will generate a virtual scene using geometry extracted from the LIDAR data combined with correlated camera imagery so that objects may be identified more easily. The rotorcraft telemetry will be used to render a real-time scene that accurately depicts the position and orientation of theship relative to the terrain, with a choice of viewpoints. The solution will be validated in a simulation environment as well as with real sensors, and be capable of running on ruggedized, embedded hardware. Benefits: Our solution will permit rotorcraft to land safely in brownout conditions, saving lives. The system will also increase the situational awareness and safety of landings in good visibility by identifying wires and other hazards that can be detected with LIDAR but are hard to see visually. The ability to quickly generate an accurate, detailed, 3D model of an area will also benefit more general mapping, mission rehearsal, and training communities. Return