ENHANCING awareness in the cockpit

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory studies the technology trends and issues regarding head-up synthetic vision displays.

Enabling technologies needed to provide pilots a synthetic view of the outside world are expected to mature within the next three to five years, according to researchers from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Such synthetic vision devices, which are based at least partially on a database, are expected to greatly increase aircrew situation awareness in reduced visibility conditions with a consequent improvement in air safety. In particular, it is hoped that providing a synthetic view of the commanded flight path and the terrain surrounding the flight path will greatly reduce the incidence of controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accidents. If a synthetic view can be provided to the pilot as part of his/her head-up primary flight display, the potential exists to provide these benefits while allowing the pilot's head, eyes, and attention to remain focused outside the cockpit.

The AFRL has begun studying synthetic vision displays as a solution to increased flight-crew awareness and minimized CFIT. The laboratory has begun developing and testing these displays, both in ground-based simulation and in flight. It has also reviewed the current state of enabling technologies needed to bring these displays to the cockpit.