Historicalarchived
New Visor Offers Clear Improvement
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
A newly developed visor for flight helmets permits aircrew members to vary the visor’s tint from 15–65% simply by turning a knob. The visor can also adjust itself automatically as lighting conditions change and operate for many hours off of a small battery. This unprecedented capability will allow pilots to optimize their vision and enhance the visibility of helmet-mounted displays (HMDs).
Applications
- Military and Commercial Significance:
- Researchers and engineers within the Human Effectiveness Directorate’s Visual Display Systems Branch conducted a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research project with AlphaMicron, Inc. (Kent, Ohio) and developed a visor for the HGU-55/P flight helmet that varies its tint electronically.
- Although the visor’s original purpose was to increase the contrast of HMD images under bright daytime viewing conditions, it also is useful as a stand-alone alternative to conventional, fixed-tint visors. Commercial applications of the technology include sunglasses, ski goggles, and visors for motorcycle helmets.
Provenance
- Original
- https://dodtechmatch.com/dod/successstories/view.aspx?id=60122
- Archived copy
- Wayback Machine snapshot
This record was recovered from a public web archive of dodtechmatch.com and is preserved for historical reference. It may be outdated. Not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense. Contact details from the original listing have been withheld.