Optimized Information Display for Tactical Air Control Party

Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) personnel juggle disparate tasks simultaneously. Their task simultaneously require physically grueling output, instantaneous information processing, clear communication and instantaneous decision-making. The current system provides capabilities far beyond their predecessors but with drawbacks: an information-rich battlefield requires increased time looking at chest-worn displays, at the cost of missing time-critical, real-time events.Our Phase I effort highlighted the drawbacks of the current TACP system. We presented a shared approach of the current head-down display integrated with an augmented reality/ head-up display. While this approach should significantly increase TACP situational awareness and task effectiveness, there are few, if any, widely adopted AR systems, even for the military. Several commercially available AR systems have proven difficult to integrate into habitual use.Creative Microsystems Corp proposes to develop: 1. HID: Holographic Imageguide Display for TACPs; and 2. An aggressive user acceptance program a based on rigorous situational awareness and proven analysis frameworks already in use by the US Air Force HUD technology.