Automated Measurement/Alignment of Immersive Visual Displays

Complexity of immersive displays continues to grow and so does required setup and calibration. A myriad of measurements and adjustments must be performed to verify compliance of systems and components to specifications. Routine system maintenancesometimes necessitates less involved system alignment to minimize system down-time.Traditionally, a number of instruments are used. Transits may be used to verify absolute locations of points on the display surface with respect to the design eyepoint (or other given design reference). Luminance meters may be used to measure brightnessfor color matching and edge blending.Large amounts of manual setup, measurement, and interpretation, followed by manual and/or computer based calculations are used to provide feedback to the image source to correct parameters.Advances in amateur telescopes during the 1990s yielded tracking precision accuracy on the order of arc-seconds. Coupled with a calibrated video camera, the simulation community has an opportunity to create a precision measurement and feedback device forverification and auto-alignment of complex display parameters.The proper mix of COTS components, adaptable mounting hardware, and computer control software, will produce an effective device which minimizes setup time, labor, and costs. With open format data output, the system will be a tool which any display systemor image generator (IG) vendor can use as a valuable alignment aid.