Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF161-040

Description

ABSTRACT: The Air Force is seeking a wearable head-tracker system for use with dismounted operators digital vision devices to enable symbol placement conformal to the real world without perceptible lag or artifacts. In response, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Enhanced Day/Night Dismounted Soldier Head Tracker (ENSiHT) system based on the unique integration of state-of-the-art and proven day-time head tracker with a set of new enabling glue logic (including hardware and algorithms) to greatly improve and tailor the head tracker to be operated in night and GPS-denied environments. The innovation in implementing compatible glue logic enables the uses of digital night-vision devices and additional navigation sensors for new operation capabilities that achieve low latency, low jitter, and high accuracy. In Phase I, POC will design the ENSiHT system meeting size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements; estimate latency, accuracy, and jitter; fit the ENSiHT system with the dismounted Battlefield Air Operations (BAO) Kit, and develop a system implementation plan for evaluation in combat environments. In Phase II, we plan to fabricate an ENSiHT prototype system, develop a test plan, optimize its SWaP performance, reliability, and ruggedization, and develop a roadmap for technology transitions.; BENEFIT: ENSiHT will provide, for the first time, a comprehensive wearable head-tracker system that can be used in GPS-denied environments day or night, to improve visualization accuracy and symbol representation for heads-up and head-mounted display technologies. Military applications of the ENSiHT technology include the BAO Kit, navigation in GPS-denied operations including vehicles, UAVs, and dismounted operators. Gaming, simulation and training, and commercial aviation via future HMDs (including augmented and virtual realities) are the many commercial applications that we envision that can be derived from the ENSiHT technology. ENSiHT can be used in logistics and shipping in order to provide safety or instructions for detailed operations or repairs and maintenance. ENSiHT can be used to enrich heads-up and head-mounted visualization for sports and outdoor activities, team coordination for emergency response, and individual team member and milestone location display. For training, ENSiHT can enrich virtual scenarios by bringing virtual agents to life, making training more immersive.