HELMET MOUNTED EYE POSITION/ORIENTATION SENSING FOR AIRCRAFT COCKPITS

TO FUNCTION AS ENVISIONED, THE AIR FORCE VIRTUAL COCKPIT CONCEPT MUST INCLUDE EYE MOVEMENT MEASUREMENT. AN EYE TRACKING SYSTEM MUST BE DEVELOPED TO PROPERLY INTERFACE WITH THE VIRTUAL COCKPIT AND TO PROVIDE THE NEEDED PERFORMANCE. ASL PROPOSES TO 1) DEFINE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR SUCH AND EYE TRACKER, 2) ANALYZE THE TECHNICAL APPROACHES THAT CAN MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS, 3) PERFORM PRELIMINARY DESIGN OF AN APPROPRIATE SYSTEM, 4) OUTLINE A PHASE II PROGRAM FOR PRODUCING A PROTOTYPE. ALTHOUGH WE PROPOSE TO SERIOUSLY INVESTIGATE THE ENTIRE SPECTRUM OF CURRENT AND POTENTIAL EYE TRACKING TECHNIQUES, OUR CONSIDERABLE EXPERIENCE IN THIS FIELD LEADS US TO BELIEVE THAT THE BEST APPROACH WILL TURN OUT TO BE AN ADVANCE ON TV OR ARRAY SENSOR TYPE SYSTEMS EMPLOYING THE PUPIL CENTER TO CORNEAL REFLEX TECHNIQUE.