DEGRADED VISUAL ENVIRONMENT SOLUTION FOR TACTICAL HELICOPTER - HELMET MOUNTED DISPLAY SYMBOLOGY INVESTIGATION IN A SIMULATOR

METHODS: Thirteen RCAF Griffon operational pilots were exposed to 3 HMD displays: Helmet Display Tracking System for DVE (HDTS-DVE, Elbit Systems Ltd.), the Brownout Symbology Simulation (BOSS, US Army), and the current CH146 AN/AVS-7 system was used as a control. For each symbology system the pilot performed: a single stage departure and approach, a two-stage departure and approach, and a hover turn. A total of 15 trials, the presentation order of the 3 systems was randomized across the pilots. Objective performance metrics included aircraft speed, attitude, and distance from the landing point. Subjective measurements included: China Lake Situation Awareness, modified Harper-Cooper Rating, Subjective Performance, Perceptual Cue Rating, and NASA Task Load Index and Physiological Response. RESULTS: Repeated measures ANOVA and subsequent planned comparison for all the objective and subjective measurements were performed followed by percentage difference in means for a given measure between AN/AVS7 and HDTS and, between AN/AVS7 and BOSS. With the exception of the single stage departure manoeuvre, both the HDTS and BOSS demonstrated significant improvement over the AN/AVS7. HDTS performed significantly better in heading error, lateral distance to LP than BOSS. During the single stage departure, BOSS performed worse than AN/AVS7 in heading RMSE, situation awareness, mental workload and perceived performance. DISCUSSION: Both the HDTS and BOSS possess their own limitations, however, HDTS performs better in brownout and is the preferred flight display for this study.