Integration of a Legacy System with Night Vision Training System (NVTS)
Abstract
The increase in tactical night operations resulted in the requirement for improved night vision goggle (NVG) training and simulation. The Night Vision Training System (NVTS), developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Warfighter Training Research Division (AFRL/HEA), provides high-fidelity NVG imagery required to support effective NVG training and mission rehearsal. Acquisition of a multichannel NVTS, to drive both an out-the-window (OTW) view and a helmet-mounted display (HMD), may exceed resources of some training units. An alternative could be to add one channel of NVG imagery to the existing OTW imagery provided by the legacy system. This evaluation addressed engineering and training issues associated with integrating a single NVTS HMD channel with an existing legacy system. Pilots rated the degree of disparity between the HMD and OTW scenes for various scene attributes and effect on flight performance. Findings demonstrated the potential for integration of an NVTS channel with an existing legacy system. Latency and terrain elevation differences between the two databases were measured and did not significantly impact system integration or pilot ratings. When integrating other legacy systems with NVTS, significant disparities may exist between the two databases. Pilot ratings and comments indicate that (a) display brightness and contrast levels of the OTW scene should be set to correspond to real-world, (b) unaided luminance values for a given illumination condition; disparity in moon phase and position between the two sky models should be minimized; and (c) star quantity and brightness in the OTW scene and the NVG scene, as rendered on the HMD, should be as consistent with real-world conditions as possible.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA408580
Entities
People
- Craig A. Vrana
- Elizabeth L. Martin
- Gretchen M. Anderson
- Joseph T. Riegler