SENSOR-AUGMENTED VISION SYSTEM

PRESENTLY AVAILABLE NIGHT VISION GOGGLES (NVG) ARE NOT MATCHED TO THE NEEDS OF TACTICAL AIR CREW MEMBERS. THEY SERIOUSLY LIMIT EFFECTIVENESS OF THE AVIATOR BY INTERFERING WITH PERIPHERAL VISION, HEAD-DOWN INSTRUMENT READABILITY, HEAD-UP DISPLAY, AND DEPTH PERCEPTION. THE VIEW HAS BEEN LIMITED TO A NARROW 40 DEG FIELD. THEY ARE HAZARDOUS IN HIGH-G OR IN THE WIND BLAST AT EJECTION. THEY CANNOT BE GAIN-ADJUSTED AND THEY BECOME SATURATED FROM ONE'S OWN GUN MUZZLE FLASH. S-TRON PROPOSES TO INTEGRATE SENSORS IN THE AVIATOR'S BODY ENVIRONMENT, SEEKING TO MATCH A NEW ELECTRO-OPTICAL DISPLAY AND HELMET TO THE NEEDS OF THE TACTICAL AVIATOR AND THE EXISTING CAPABILITIESOF HIS SENSOR ARRAY. PROPOSED AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT INCLUDE RESTORING AND ENHANCING DEPTH PERCEPTION, MUZZLE FLASH SUPRESSION, DISPLAY FLIR AND COMPUTER-GENERATED 3-D SYMBOLOGY. COCKPIT INSTRUMENTS SHOULDAPPEAR NORMAL; STRAIGHT-AHEAD AND PERIPHERAL NORMAL VISION SHOULD BE LIMITED ONLY BY PRESENT HELMET AND AIRCRAFT STRUCTURE. THE SYSTEM PROTECTS AGAINST MECHANICAL AND OPTICAL HAZARDS, HIGH-G AND EJECTION, AND PROTECTS THE AVIATOR DOWN TO AND ON THE GROUND. LIMITED EQUIPMENT MOCKUP AND OPTICAL DESIGN IS PROPOSED; PHASE I IS PRIMARILY AN ASSESSMENT OF AVIATOR NEEDS, TECHNOLGY OPTIONS AND DOD POLICIES, AND LEADS TO THE PHASE II HARDWARE DEMONSTRATION.