Sensor-Fused Multispectral Adaptive Low-Power Low-Weight Enhanced Resolution Helmet-Mounted Display

ABSTRACT: To address the Air Force need for a multispectral imaging system, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new clip-on Sensor-Fused Multispectral Adaptive Low-Power Low-Weight Enhanced Resolution Helmet-Mounted Display (SMALLER-HMD) system. This proposed system is based on compressed sensing of advanced low-power multispectral sensors and an adaptive fusion algorithm that overlay multispectral digital imagery with symbology, presenting the resulting image in real time to the user on a low-profile HMD. The innovations in SMALLER-HMD include optical tiling of visible/NIR and SWIR images using small on-helmet multi-aperture common optics with bandwidth reduction and improved signal recovery using coded aperture techniques supplemented by adaptively fusing these images with tactical symbology using ASIC fusion hardware in a 40-degree FOV with 100% binocular overlap and 1:1 magnification. The compact and low-power SMALLER-HMD will result in a versatile integrated day/night/adverse weather visualization system. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of SMALLER-HMD by providing a laboratory demonstration of a full-color HMD with fused imagery containing at least SWIR, LWIR, and symbology. POC plans to develop in Phase II a high resolution (2560x2048 pixels) SMALLER-HMD clip-on prototype that meets the space, weight, ergonomics, power, performance, and integration (SWEPPI) requirements for current and next-generation helmets. BENEFIT: Military applications of the SMALLER-HMD system will include multispectral fused imagery for use in both fixed-wing and rotorcraft fleets, as well as Special Forces operations. As an integrated day/night visualization system the SMALLER-HMD can be incorporated by the U.S. Air Force into the current F-22 and F-35 fighters, the HH-60 Pave Hawk search-and-rescue helicopter, and ground vehicles using SWIR headlamps that only the driver/passengers can see. Additionally, the SMALLER-HMD technology has attracted the attention of primes including Boeing and DRS. We anticipate widespread appeal of the SMALLER-HMD technology for such nonmilitary applications as Homeland Security adverse weather search-and-rescue operations, firefighting, gaming HMD, flight simulators, and other immersive display systems, including medical and CAD/CAE 3D image displays and virtual reality displays for endoscopy/laparoscopy.