Night-Vision Ultra-Compact Glass-Like All-Condition Sensor-Fused See-through HUD System

To address the DARPAs need for a night, all-condition viewable compact lightweight broadband heads-up night vision system, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to continue development of a new Night-Vision Ultra-Compact Glass-Like All-Condition Sensor-Fused See-through (NUGLASS)-HUD system based on unique integration of POC technologies: head-mounted single-lens wide field-of-view (FOV) multi-aperture tiled high resolution imaging sensor with multi-spectral coverage across visible-NIR-SWIR; see-through wide FOV high brightness augmented-reality heads-up-display (HUD); and wearable processor with LPD wireless connection, interfaceable to tactical device and systems. Specifically, the innovation in a new design of conformal holographic planar projection see-through optics with frameless aperture tiling of microdisplays will enable the HUD visor to have form factor and appearance similar to a sunglass. In Phase I, POC successfully developed a comprehensive design and evaluation of NUGLASS-HUD system and its subsystems, in terms of resolution, FOV, SWaP performance and integration. A proof-of-concept prototype consisting of VIS/NIR sensors, wide FOV low-profile free-form prism microdisplays, and see-through holographic waveguide visors optics, demonstrate the visualization of see-through sensor imagery. In Phase II, POC plans to optimize the design and develop/demonstrate a prototype system by laboratory testing and evaluation leading to technological risk mitigation and transition planning for Phase III and beyond.