Written by / Compiled by KMI Media Group staff
MIT 2009 Volume: 13 Issue: 8 (September)
Over the past year, a group from the Army RDECOM CERDEC Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) has been working on the Advanced Distributed Aperture System (ADAS), which gives aircrews “superhero” vision, enabling them to “see through” the helicopter.
During a recent flight demonstration, Brigadier General Raymond Palumbo, deputy commanding general, Army Special Operations Command, said, “The ability to see through the cockpit infrastructure is pretty damn awesome. Can you imagine having this on a Stryker, where you can see all around and hear each other?”
The ADAS is a multi-spectral day/night viewing system, consisting of six cameras mounted on the outside of the helicopter. The day/night imagery from each camera is processed and stitched together to provide each aircrew member with an independent, unrestricted spherical view around the aircraft. Each aircrew member independently views the thermal and near-infrared fused imagery as it is projected onto the visor of their helmet mounted display (HMD).
Each aircrew member’s HMD is continually tracked by an optical head tracker, and the aircrew member determines the imagery he sees by simply pointing his head in the desired direction. Since the cameras are located on the outside of the aircraft, the images appear to “see through” the Blackhawk. Informational symbols from the helicopter instrument panel also provide heads-up pilotage and navigation data as an overlay to the multi-spectral imagery.
ADAS greatly improves situational awareness by providing aircrew members the ability to look anywhere about the aircraft to view objects and terrain with minimal or no structural limitation during day/night operations. NVESD has been working with several contractors to develop the helmet display and multi-spectral sensors. One of NVESD’s contractors is also providing 3-D audio cueing and active noise reduction technology.
Similar to a bat’s echolocation, the 3-D audio cueing distributes sound directionally so that auditory signals sound like they’re coming from the direction of the source; this also provides separation for different channels of input, like threat alerts, radio traffic and aircrew dialogue. The 3-D audio is enhanced by ANR, which also minimizes the risk of hearing loss from noise exposure, reduces fatigue and stress during long missions, and limits cockpit noise, enabling the aircrew to concentrate and work efficiently.
One of the issues deployed aircrews have been facing is brownout. Brownout occurs when a helicopter is landing and the rotorcraft’s downwash throws dust, sand and other loose debris into the air, severely limiting or obscuring the pilots’ view of the landing area. To combat brownout situations, the aircrew using ADAS can view pilotage and brownout symbology to let the pilots know where the helicopter is in relation to the ground as well as look through the floor of the helicopter into the cleaner downwash directly below them, allowing the aircrew to conduct safe landings during a dangerous brownout situation.
Diana L. McGonigle
With sadness, KMI Media Group announces the passing of our friend and co-worker, Copy Editor Diana L. McGonigle, who died August 15. A skilled editor with a fierce dedication to accuracy and timeliness, Diana had been a valued member of the KMI team since 2005. She will be missed.
Correction
In the article, “DISA, GSA Combine on COMSAT Acquisition,” in the August 2009 issue of MIT, the name of one of the prime contractors on the DSTS-G program appeared incorrectly. It is CapRock Government Solutions. ♦
