TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Air Platform, Human Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMA-261, CH-53K Heavy Lift Helicopter Program, ACAT I

OBJECTIVE: Develop and integrate Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) symbology for both day and night operations to aid rotorcraft in brownout conditions and other degraded visual environments.

DESCRIPTION: Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) capability can enable rotorcraft pilots to remain "out of the cockpit" during day/night low/no visibility approach/landing operations, providing observation of the environment as conditions permit for better situational awareness. HMDs are expected to further reduce pilot workload and enhance performance. Critical to improving performance will be display symbology that provides high contrast against the background, with lower intensity and eye strain, particularly with night vision devices. This technology will have wide application across USMC, Navy, Army and Air Force rotorcraft fleets.

Innovative solutions to develop symbology for degraded visual environments that addresses the unique integration requirements of day and night HMDs are sought. A priority display is low speed symbology (velocity vector and acceleration cue) for brownout approach and landing. Near-term transition is expected to be to "clip-on" day HMDs and to Night Vision Goggles (NVGs). The symbology development cannot be practically segregated from the device technology due to issues of display imagery and symbology fields-of-view, display resolution, and appropriate background luminance/contrast and display gain/attenuation. Thus, the symbology development needs to be in the context of an integrated software/hardware system as designed for aviation degraded visual environments.

Although the focus is on relatively near team applications, compatibility of the technology with future color-capable visor/combiner displays would add value to the effort. Head-tracked symbology solutions are also not of immediate interest, but insights on extension of this technology would also add value to the effort.

PHASE I: Determine the feasibility of integrating symbology into a HMD and identify the steps needed to develop this technology for aviation applications, including both day and night devices. Recommend software and hardware architecture strategies, considering simple compatibility with existing aviation HMDs to a fully open systems architecture. Formulate baseline symbology and demonstrate suitability for day/night HMD displays.

PHASE II: Develop high contrast, high brightness symbology for day/night HMDs in a workstation/simulation environment. Integrate and demonstrate the symbology in prototype day and night HMD devices with suitably lighted backgrounds for day, night, and degraded visual environments.

PHASE III: Develop flightworthy day/night HMD software/hardware with symbology suitable for installation on a military helicopter. The system should provide standard HMD flight instrumentation as well as conventional low speed symbology. Perform incremental flight testing in order to evaluate the system in both day and night degraded visual environments and reduce risk.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: This technology is applicable to all helicopter operations, both military and civilian. For example, helicopter operations that require flight in proximity to hazards or in degraded visual environments such as police operations, news agency operations, fire-fighting, off-shore oil platform operations, geological surveys, etc. would benefit.

REFERENCES:
1. SPIE 2001, "Luminance Contrast and Color Recognition in Helmet-Mounted Displays," Havig, Grigsby, Heft, LaCreta, Post, Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, OH 45433-7022.

2. SPIE 2002, "Luminance Contrast Requirements for Colored Symbols in Helmet-Mounted Displays," Martinsen, Havig, Heft, LaCreta, and Post, Air Force Research Laboratory, WPAFB, OH 45433-7022.

3. SPIE 2004, "Effects of saturation contrast on color recognition in night vision goggles," Havig, Marascoa, Posta, Ellwangera, and Reisba.

KEYWORDS: Symbology; Helmet Mounted Display; Degraded Visual Environments; Brownout; Day and Night; Helicopters.

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

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