This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 7688, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, and the Conference Committee listing.

As computer-use propagates across the battlefield, the necessity to effectively integrate such system components challenges the system developer to find a balance between added functionality and system usability. The most significant challenge is ruggedizing and integrating these technologies in an acceptable manner that does not impede the users' combat capability, but instead significantly enhances it . In this paper, researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Battlespace Acoustics Branch explored alternative Head Mounted Display (HMD) concepts, investigating field of view as well as ease of use concerns. Special Operations personnel prosecute mission objectives in dynamic environments requiring an agile integration solution that is equally accommodating. This report describes the research process as well as the unique concerns and results of integrating tactical HMDs for special operation forces. Issues involving variable use-cases, as well as cable management are also addressed.

The innovative technology utilized in the Scorpion HMCS has broken several product and price barriers which now allow it to be used in both traditional and non-traditional applications. In particular, its bright color display provides a new dimension for informational content and vastly improved situational awareness. Users are just beginning to explore the ways that color can be used in an HMD projection display. Scorpion has also broken through price and installation cost barriers allowing, for the first time, its use on platforms that could otherwise never have afforded a helmet mounted display. Scorpion HMCS units are currently being used for both traditional cueing as well as unique new applications in both airborne and maritime platforms. These applications are further described as well as other potential roles for the Scorpion HMCS.

Next generation night vision helmet mounted displays (HMDs) are expected to have higher resolution, larger field of view and lower costs. These HMDs will be expected to provide real world images at starlight overcast with minimal scintillation, improved dynamic range and symbology. VSI is developing a series of HMDs that will meet this demand and will provide an overview of the capabilities in this paper. We will address the requirements and design conflicts associated with the development of an all digital system. Finally, we will provide insight into the capability of an "all" digital system and its potential future.

SA Photonics and Vision Systems International (VSI) are developing an innovative wide field of view digital night vision head mounted display (HMD). This HMD has an 80 degree field of view and has been designed to minimize weight, peripheral obscuration and forward projection. Digital night vision sensors enable electronic image enhancement and VSI's Zero A/C Integration enables the HMD to be integrated with legacy aircraft and provide symbology overlay and recording without the need for an expensive drive electronics box.

Commercial, forensic, and military divers often encounter turbid conditions which reduce visibility to zero. Under such conditions, work must be performed completely blind. The darkness resulting from high levels of turbidity is complete, and can be dangerous as well as disorienting. Such darkness can even occur near the surface on a bright and sunny day. Artificial underwater lighting is of no use in such situations, as it only makes matters worse (similar to the use of high beam headlights in dense fog). Certain wavelengths of infrared (IR) light have the ability to penetrate this underwater "fog," and thus form the basis of the current development. Turbidity results from clay, silt, finely divided organic and inorganic matter, soluble colored organic compounds, plankton and microscopic organisms suspended in water. The IR Diver Vision system described herein consists of a standard commercial diving mask of any of several configurations whereby an IR light source, IR video camera, video display, and power source may be integrated within or attached to the mask. The IR light source wavelength is compatible with the spectral bandwidth of the video camera. The camera field-of-view (FOV) is matched to the video display in order to provide a unity magnification and hence prevent diver ocular fatigue. The IR video camera, video display, power source and controls are compatible with extended use in a submarine environment. Some such masks will incorporate tilt/heading sensors and video indicators. 3-D Imaging, Inc. has developed prototypes and has patents pending on such devices.

There is a need for variable transmission technology for Goggles, Spectacles, and visors for Helmet-Mounted Displays (HMDs). At present, most HMD's do not allow the pilot to control the transmission level of a flight visor while transitioning from high to low light levels throughout flight. Sunglasses are often used for non-HMD conditions but become impractical for HMD use. For individuals moving from high to low brightness levels, momentary blindness is an issue in both recreational sports and military applications. A user-controlled or automatically controllable variabletransmittance lens is a possible solution. The Eclipse Visible Electrochromic Device (EclipseECD^TM) is well suited for these light modulation applications. The EclipseECD^TM modulates light intensity by changing the absorption level under an applied electric field. The optical density may be continuously changed by varying voltage allowing for analog instead of digital (on/off) light levels. EclipseECD^TM is comprised of vacuum deposited layers of a transparent bottom electrode, an active element, and a transparent top electrode, incorporating an all, solid-state electrolyte. The solid-state electrolyte eliminates possible complications associated with gel-based or liquid crystal based technologies including lamination, and precludes the need for additional visor modifications. This all solid-state ECD system can be deposited on flexible substrates, eg. PET, PC, etc. The low-temperature deposition process enables direct application to polymer lenses and HMD flight visors. Additionally, the coating is easily manufactured; can be trimmed, has near spectral neutrality and fails in the clear (bleached) condition.

The US Army and eMagin Corporation established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) to characterize the ongoing improvements in the lifetime of OLED displays. This CRADA also called for the evaluation of OLED performance as the need arises, especially when new products are developed or when a previously untested parameter needs to be understood. In 2006, eMagin Corporation developed long-life OLED-XL^TM devices for use in their AMOLED microdisplays for head-worn applications. Through Research and Development programs from 2007 to 2009 with the US Government, eMagin made additional improvements in OLED life and developed the first SXGA (1280 × 1024 triad pixels) OLED microdisplay. US Army RDECOM CERDEC NVESD conducted life and performance tests on these displays, publishing results at the 2007, 2008, and 2009 SPIE Defense and Security Symposia1,2,3. Life and performance tests have continued through 2009, and this data will be presented along with a recap of previous data. This should result in a better understanding of the applicability of AMOLEDs in military and commercial head mounted systems: where good fits are made, and where further development might be desirable.

We resented a new approach for Optical HMT (Head Motion Tracker) past years (Proc. SPIE 6955, 69550A, 2008, Proc. SPIE 7326, 732607/73260L, 2009) ^[1]-[3]. In existing Magnetic HMT, it is inevitable to conduct pre-mapping in order to obtain sufficient accuracy because of magnetic field's distortion caused by metallic material around HMT, such as cockpit and helmet. Optical HMT is commonly known as mapping-free tracker; however, it has some disadvantages on accuracy, stability against sunlight conditions, in terms of comparison with Magnetic HMT. We had succeeded to develop new Optical HMT, which can overcome particular disadvantages by integration with two area cameras, LED markers, image processing techniques and inertial sensors with simple algorithm in laboratory level environment (2007). We have also reported some experimental results conducted in flight test, which proves good accuracy even in the sunlight condition (2008). Shimadzu Corp. and JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) are conducting joint research named SAVERH (Situation Awareness and Visual Enhancer for Rescue Helicopter) ^[2]-[3] that aims at inventing method of presenting suitable information to the pilot to support search and rescue missions by helicopters. The Optical HMT has been evaluated through a series of flight evaluation in SAVERH and demonstrated the operation concept. Through 16 flights including night flights, the potential capability of the system was demonstrated and issues for further improvement were identified.

This paper addresses the human component of the human-machine interface and the effects of operational stressors on the user as a system operator. Discussions will strive to link operational stress factors to perception, cognition, and human performance errors and their implications for the design of helmet-mounted displays (HMDs). While many operational stressors can be self-imposed (e.g., fatigue, medication use and smoking), this discussion will focus on environment-related (external) stressors. Generally these factors are characteristics of an environment that require unique countermeasure development versus being under the direct control of the user. These include altitude, noise, vibration, thermal extremes and ambient lighting. Thus, it becomes incumbent upon the HMD designers to be cognizant of these environmental stressors and understand how the Soldier will perform when exposed to these conditions.

Helmet-mounted displays (HMDs) are designed as a tool to increase performance. To achieve this, there must be an accurate transfer of information from the HMD to the user. Ideally, an HMD would be designed to accommodate the abilities and limitations of users' cognitive processes. It is not enough for the information (whether visual, auditory, or tactual) to be displayed; the information must be perceived, attended, remembered, and organized in a way that guides appropriate decision-making, judgment, and action. Following a general overview, specific subtopics of cognition, including perception, attention, memory, knowledge, decision-making, and problem solving are explored within the context of HMDs.

One of our previous studies examining the integration of a head-mounted visual display with a faceted flight simulator display showed that a monocular condition was the most uncomfortable and it also resulted in poorer operator performance. In the present study, we investigated whether this reduction in performance was dependent on eye dominance and whether it could be reduced or eliminated through training. Our performance measure was the amount of time it took operators to make correct decisions on a simplified targeting task using a see-through monocular headmounted display and a large-screen display upon which was presented an out-the-window view of a desert scene. A binocular on-screen viewing condition served as baseline. The results revealed that response time significantly decreased with training but that eye dominance did not exert a significant effect. These results are interpreted within the context of training regimes for using HMDs with sparse symbology.

Future military aviation platforms such as the proposed Joint Strike Fighter F-35 will integrate helmet mounted displays (HMDs) with the avionics and weapon systems to the degree that the HMDs will become the aircraft's primary display system. In turn, training of pilot flight skills using HMDs will be essential in future training systems. In order to train these skills using simulation based training, improvements must be made in the integration of HMDs with out-thewindow (OTW) simulations. Currently, problems such as latency contribute to the onset of simulator sickness and provide distractions during training with HMD simulator systems that degrade the training experience. Previous research has used Kalman predictive filters as a means of mitigating the system latency present in these systems. While this approach has yielded some success, more work is needed to develop innovative and improved strategies that reduce system latency as well as to include data collected from the user perspective as a measured variable during test and evaluation of latency reduction strategies. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, the paper describes a new method to measure and assess system latency from the user perspective. Second, the paper describes use of the testbed to examine the efficacy of an innovative strategy that combines a customized Kalman filter with a neural network approach to mitigate system latency. Results indicate that the combined approach reduced system latency significantly when compared to baseline data and the traditional Kalman filter. Reduced latency errors should mitigate the onset of simulator sickness and ease simulator sickness symptomology. Implications for training systems will be discussed.

In 1973, the U.S. Army adopted night vision devices for use in the aviation environment. These devices are based on the principle of image intensification (I²) and have become the mainstay for the aviator's capability to operate during periods of low illumination, i.e., at night. In the nearly four decades that have followed, a number of engineering advancements have significantly improved the performance of these devices. The current version, using 3rd generation I² technology is known as the Aviator's Night Vision Imaging System (ANVIS). While considerable experience with performance has been gained during training and peacetime operations, no previous studies have looked at user acceptability and performance issues in a combat environment. This study was designed to compare Army Aircrew experiences in a combat environment to currently available information in the published literature (all peacetime laboratory and field training studies) and to determine if the latter is valid. The purpose of this study was to identify and assess aircrew satisfaction with the ANVIS and any visual performance issues or problems relating to its use in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The study consisted of an anonymous survey (based on previous validated surveys used in the laboratory and training environments) of 86 Aircrew members (64% Rated and 36% Non-rated) of an Aviation Task Force approximately 6 months into their OEF deployment. This group represents an aggregate of >94,000 flight hours of which ~22,000 are ANVIS and ~16,000 during this deployment. Overall user acceptability of ANVIS in a combat environment will be discussed.

The output brightness temporal response of non-gated image intensifying systems was examined. Generation III gallium arsenide image intensifiers (image tubes) using the P43 and P20 phosphors were tested for image persistence, minimum event detection, and minimum event temporal separation (multiple burst testing, where "event" refers to a burst of light of determined duration and brightness). Persistence tests showed some correlation with previously published data and suggest that both phosphors (P43 and P20) display multiple stages of decay. The minimum event detection tests showed the Generation III Image Intensifier tubes capable of detecting pulses with durations in the low microsecond region and suggested that for faster test setups the tubes may have the capability to operate in the nanosecond region. Finally, the multiple burst testing shows the complex temporal nature of image tube power supplies when encountering multiple, rapid flashes of light.

Applied Research Associates and BAE Systems are working together to develop a wearable augmented reality system under the DARPA ULTRA-Vis program^†. Our approach to achieve the objectives of ULTRAVis, called iLeader, incorporates a full color 40° field of view (FOV) see-thru holographic waveguide integrated with sensors for full position and head tracking to provide an unobtrusive information system for operational maneuvers. iLeader will enable warfighters to mark-up the 3D battle-space with symbologic identification of graphical control measures, friendly force positions and enemy/target locations. Our augmented reality display provides dynamic real-time painting of symbols on real objects, a pose-sensitive 360° representation of relevant object positions, and visual feedback for a variety of system activities. The iLeader user interface and situational awareness graphical representations are highly intuitive, nondisruptive, and always tactically relevant. We used best human-factors practices, system engineering expertise, and cognitive task analysis to design effective strategies for presenting real-time situational awareness to the military user without distorting their natural senses and perception. We present requirements identified for presenting information within a see-through display in combat environments, challenges in designing suitable visualization capabilities, and solutions that enable us to bring real-time iconic command and control to the tactical user community.

This paper describes a Helmet Mounted display (HMD) based on an augmented reality system applied to car technologies, which is considered as a Head Up display (HUD), using the MAPLE ® software to analyze the system stability during specific environments in order to understand how the optic parameters are affected by the surrounding conditions. The objective of this paper is segmented into two parts, the first one is the recognition of many different optic parameters involved in such systems, which are analyzed using the mixing of a mathematical model and some measurement systems, where the principal idea was to describe the ratios between both aspects; and the second one is the comprehension of how all those parameters are related with the human perception; I found that parameters like FOV(Field Of View), eye relief and MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) are directly related with the image size, and contrast threshold, additionally I conclude that the effectiveness of the system is determinate by the optic elements used and the system array of lens, finally I found some lens structure that could reduce the aberration amounts present in this kind of systems; all these considerations are focused on the developing of a car gadget, but the application of this knowledge is unlimited in optic systems.