Helmet-Mounted Displays: - USAARL - The - U.S. Army

xii
Foreword
began its phenomenal entry into the display arena, and while paper is far
from being relegated to museums, the CRT, in the form of TVs and
computer monitors, has become a major contender. And, within the last
decade, the desire and need for smaller, more portable computers has
provided an impetus for smaller, lighter displays. This need has been
addressed by a group of display technologies, collectively called flat panel
displays (FPDs). These technologies include liquid crystal (LC) (used in
many laptop computers), plasma, light emitting diode (LED), and
electroluminence (EL).
When the IHADSS was developed in the 1970s, the best display
available was the CRT. A huge development effort was needed to design
and build miniature CRTs capable of being worn mounted to an aviator’s
helmet. A similar miniaturization for FPD technologies has occurred
recently, making miniature LCD and EL display (< 1 inch diameter)
possible replacements for CRTs in HMDs.
However, new technologies do not come unencumbered, nowhere is
this truer than when these technologies are closely integrated with the
human. HMDs must address the additional issue of head and face
anthropometry, head supported weight, center of mass offsets, and myriad
visual performance parameters.
In this book, U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL)
scientists and engineers, who are recognized subject matter experts in the
field of Army aviation HMDs, summarize 25 years of knowledge and
experience in the area of HMD visual, acoustic, and biodynamic
performance, as well as addressing such user concerns as sizing, fitting,
emergency egress, etc. Lessons learned, as well as frontier technological
advancements, are presented using integrated approach.
Cherry L. Gaffney
Colonel, MC
Commanding