Augmented and Virtual Reality Systems - pág.7

A typical HUD contains three primary components: a projector unit, a combiner (the viewing glass), and a video generation computer (also known as a symbol generator) (Previc and Ercoline, 2004). As shown in Figure 1.4, information is projected onto the combiner at optical infinity to provide pilots of both military and commercial aircraft with a variety of data and symbology necessary to increase situational awareness, particularly in low visibility landing and taxiing operations, without having to look down into the cockpit at the more traditional information displays.

Figure 1.4 This image shows the basic flight data and symbology displayed in the HUD of a U.S. Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier ground-attack aircraft. Information shown on the display includes altitude, speed, and level of the aircraft to aid in flight control and navigation and help pilots keep their eyes on the environment.

The first combat aircraft to deploy with an operational HUD was a British low-level strike aircraft known as the Blackburn Buccaneer in 1958 (Nijboer, 2016). To this day, all HUDs incorporate a number of the basic concepts embodied in Grubb´s original inventions.

The same principles of keeping a human operator focused on the task at hand have also resulted in the integration of these heads-up technologies into an increasing number of new automobile designs (Newcomb, 2014).

Helmet-Mounted Sights and Displays

Through the 1960s, as cockpit avionics, sensors, and weapons systems continued to advance, scientists and engineers in military labs around the world similarly continued efforts at easing a pilot´s information processing burden and improving the control of sensors and weapons. The next logical step was moving the display of some of this information from the HUD to the pilot´s helmet.