Helmet Mounted Display for Joint Strike Fighter Training Simulator

The M2DART provides a portable simulator system that can be deployed for a variety of training tasks and at numerous locations around the globe. Although its uncollimated, tiled displays allow for a small footprint, the viewing distance is both close (nominally 36”) and varies significantly as a user moves their head from tile to tile. This difference between HMD focus and vergence and the varying distance to the simulator screen can cause human factors issues. These issues can manifest themselves as blurry imagery, doubled imagery or more latent effects such as workload reduction and eyestrain which will not be the same as for the real world, since most of a pilot’s real world is at or near optical infinity. Our goal under this program is to test for potential problems with a representative see-through binocular HMD that does not involve using flight hardware. We will use the results of these tests to identify changes to be made to the simulator HMD to mitigate any potential issues. Our extensive experience in the design and development of HMDs, coupled with our experience in performing human factors testing will ensure that we provide the Air Force with an acceptable solution.