Cockpit transformation: to the looking glass

The changeover to glass cockpits continues to evolve, as system developers devise strategies to give pilots lots of information in easy-to-understand formats.

While some designers strive to improve the human-machine interface (HMI) in the cockpit, others push to reduce weight and improve the performance of the instruments that drive displays.

Using LCDs offers high readability under the varied conditions seen in the cockpit, making it possible to display far more information than pilots saw with discrete gauges or CRT displays. But in some ways, pilots are like an acquaintance who's learning the most private details of someone's life-neither wants too much information.