Low Cost Headset-mounted Augmented Reality Display for Mobility Pilots and Crew

Augmented reality head mounted displays (HMDs) provide meaningful increases in situational awareness, which can have a significant impact on safety and effectiveness. Existing military HMDs/HUDs are extremely expensive and mostly are deployed in tactical aircraft. Commercial Augmented Reality (AR) displays are neither robust enough for aircraft use nor are they designed to be used with other pilot/crew equipment. SA Photonics offers a commercial augmented reality HMD for general and commercial aviation that mounts on a standard communications headset. We will leverage this commercial product to provide increased situational awareness to mobility pilots, and for airborne and ground-based crew. This solution is based on a high resolution, wide field of view, innovative freeform prism eyepiece, a high brightness microdisplay, and a variable attenuator for high contrast viewing in bright daylight. Our electronics generate augmented reality overlays including ground speed, altitude, attitude, ground information, information for loadmasters, jumpmasters other crew and ground support personnel. The HMD easily stows when not needed, similar to the boom microphone already in use on communications headsets. A reconfigurable mount allows our HMD to also mount on a helmet, for use with night vision goggles. No modification to aircraft electronics are necessary to install our standalone system.