The objective of this proposal is to identify an innovative solution for a low-cost embedded display for use in training in deployed ground and air vehicles. n-vision is proposing a hybrid display technology that utilizes projection optics in a head-mounted configuration, referred to as a Head-Mounted Projective Display, or HMPD. The HMPD is a lightweight display that projects images onto a thin retro-reflective screen that can be placed virtually anywhere in the surrounding environment. Images are reflected back towards the user, independent of the viewing angle between the screen and the user. Unlike most head-mounted displays, the HMPD is inherently see-through, with the augmented images only appearing where the retro-reflective screen is present, such as on a physical window or opening. This provides the user with the correct cutoff between the real environment and the OTW scene. All other areas of the physical environment will be visible through the display optics. This will allow users to operate the vehicle controls that would be instrumented to the deployed image generator. The focus of the proposed Phase 1 research will be to optimize the HMPD concept to support the specific design objectives of the deployable embedded display for training and simulation. n-vision expects to show that the concept of a head mounted projective display meets the requirements to achieve organic embedded simulation training within a deployed operational ground or aviation vehicle, as requested by the Army Chief of Staff. With a modular and detachable design and a lightweight, foldable screen, the HMPD can be an integral part of the operational vehicle. The n-vision team recognizes deployability as an important challenge in this project. Other unknowns include the display specifications for brightness, field-of-view, ergonomics, etc. Phase 1 funding will provide n-vision with the resources necessary to explore these issues and develop an optimal solution for an embedded display based on the HMPD concept. The HMPD concept has merit for any training or simulation application that requires the user to operate within a vehicle. The retro-reflective screen is a virtual simile of the vehicle's windows or openings to the outside. The projection optics can place the images to appear at any distances corresponding to the real application - from a couple feet away to an infinite depth of focus - independent of the screen's position. n-vision will aggressively market this concept to commercial and industrial markets such as driving simulation and training, heavy equipment operations, aviation, and trucking.
Keywords: Embedded, Virtual, Reality, See-Through, Display, Augmented, Hmd
