JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), together with Shimadzu Corporation and NEC, has initiated a research project named SAVERH (Situation Awareness and Visual Enhancer for Rescue Helicopter) that aims at inventing method of presenting suitable pilot information to support helicopter search and rescue missions. As the initial stage of this research, a series of flight experiments was conducted to investigate the feasibility of operations enhanced by an E/SVS (Enhanced / Synthetic Vision System) and to clarify system issues. An integrated system comprising an HMD (Helmet Mounted Display) and a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) sensor were installed in a JAXA research helicopter, and Tunnel-in-the-Sky symbology and a Synthetic Terrain image combined with the FLIR image were presented on the HMD and/or on a Head Down Display (HDD). Through a total of 17 flights including night flights, the potential capability of the system was demonstrated while many issues for further investigation were identified.

Date Published: 2 May 2009
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 7326, Head- and Helmet-Mounted Displays XIV: Design and Applications, 732607 (2 May 2009); doi: 10.1117/12.819096

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7326:
Head- and Helmet-Mounted Displays XIV: Design and Applications
Peter L. Marasco; Paul R. Havig; Sion A. Jennings; Thomas H. Harding, Editor(s)