Low Cost, Headset Mounted Augmented Reality HMD

Augmented reality head mounted displays (HMDs) can provide meaningful increases in situational awareness, which can have a significant impact on safety and effectiveness for USAF personnel. Existing military HMDs/HUDs are extremely expensive and mostly are deployed in tactical aircraft. Commercial Augmented Reality (AR) displays are neither robust enough for aircraft use nor are they designed to be used with other pilot/crew equipment. SA Photonics offers a commercial augmented reality HMD for aviation that mounts on either on a standard “David Clark� or Bose flight headset. We will leverage this commercial product to provide increased situational awareness to pilots in non-tactical aircraft, and for airborne and ground-based crew. This solution is based on a high resolution, wide field of view, innovative freeform prism eyepiece, a high brightness microdisplay, and a variable attenuator for high contrast viewing in bright daylight. Our electronics generate augmented reality overlays including ground speed, altitude, attitude, ground information, information for loadmasters, jumpmasters other crew and ground support personnel. The HMD easily stows when not needed, similar to the boom microphone already in use on communications headsets.