Sweden's Helmet Mounted Display for their Gripen

www.gripen.com...

10/3/2007 | The Cobra HMD is a key element of Gripen’s advanced systems fit and has already been ordered by the South African Air Force. The agreement will enable the HMD system to be integrated into Swedish Air Force Gripen fighters and be delivered to Sweden progressively.

“This order is further evidence of the confidence Sweden has in Gripen,” says Lennart Sindahl, Business Unit Manager at Saab Aerosystems. “HMD further improves the Swedish Gripen fleet’s already expansive operating capacity.”

The HMD displays data directly onto the helmet visor, allowing the Gripen pilot to stay ‘heads-up’ at crucial points in the mission. The Cobra is a binocular system that displays both air-to-air and air-to-ground weapons symbology, as well as basic flight data.

One question, what are with those "bumps?"

I believe (but am not 100% sure) that some of the bumps contain sensors to tell where the head is pointing. From that missile seekers can be cued.

There may be sensors to tell where the eyes are looking as well, these would then be used in conjunction with the helmet position sensors to tell exactly where the pilot is looking and to help the seeker home in much better.


edit: Its more evidence of the efficiency of Sweden's procurement system. Alot of other countries could do with studying it closely IMO.

[edit on 4/10/07 by kilcoo316]

That is very very small compared to say

aviationweek.typepad.com...

This helmet is a threat to US national security! How do the swedes dare to make a smaller helmet than the american one?!

This means war! Wait, do they have any oil? No, but norway have lots... hmm... lets attack norway, take it over and build a military base to attack sweden.

Why? Dunno, maybe because they are Internet Terrorists with their weak piracy laws that doesnt really punish the kids for sharing music and computer games with their friends! And that hurts the American media super giants. Its a economic attack on America!

Also they have nice girls, which is a threat to the US ones.





[edit on 4-10-2007 by Copernicus]

reply to post by Harlequin



"Very very small"? If you say so... The F-35's HMD should not be confused with this particular system. This is essentially a JHMCS with a new marketing campaign, not a HUD (or HMD in the F-35 sense) replacement system like that found on the Lightning II. As such the requirements are not the same; the F-35 needs more sensors, display area etc..., in order to compensate for the amount of data available.

Originally posted by kilcoo316
Its more evidence of the efficiency of Sweden's procurement system.

How so...?

and how do you know ANYTHING about the F35`s helmet since NOTHING has been made even remotely public about what it can and can`t do..


This is Helmet Mounted Display - it projects the data from the HUD onto the screen infront of the pilots eyes and keeps the data there when he turns his head - which funnily enough is what any HMD is about.

*sigh*

i also bet if he presses a button he can get a rolling map read out as well from one of the griphons tft screens - but hey ho , can`t be good if its not `made in america` huh.

Originally posted by Harlequin
and how do you know ANYTHING about the F35`s helmet since NOTHING has been made even remotely public....

Do not presume to think that others are not informed in topics which you have not taken the time to seriously look at. Furthermore, even if there was no published information about the F-35's HMDS I know that it was a design feature from conception. As such it will be able to feature all of the available information that one would normally view in the HUD and that it would be compatible with any system which would display information via the HUD.

Anyway, here is some "NOTHING" which has, according to you, not "been made even remotely public"…

The F-35 cockpit is also the first in a production fighter to use a virtual head-up display that projects information onto the pilot's helmet visor. The new system, called a helmet-mounted display, or HMD, was switched on in March for the first time in F-35 laboratories where it projected symbology onto the visor by way of the actual F-35 vehicle-management and display-management computers. The HMD provides HUD information as though pilots are looking through an actual HUD no matter in what direction they turn their heads.

"We have flown in the past with helmet-mounted sights, such as Joint Helmet-Mounted Cueing System, or JHMCS," explains Beesley. "This system is used for off-axis symbology for tactical maneuvering. But because of higher latency, or lag times, these systems cannot be used to fly the airplane. This latency issue has been solved thanks to improvements in computer technology that allow very quick update rates needed for information associated with flying the airplane."

With the virtual HUD, pilots can look in different directions to find key tactical and flight information in their line of sight. This off-axis capability, as it is called, increases lethality and survivability by allowing the pilot to target threats with head instead of aircraft motions. The HMD eliminates the cost and weight associated with traditional head-up displays and simplifies cockpit design.

"HMD advancements will improve both weapons' aiming and target information that flows to the pilot," Beesley says. "In the past, forward-looking infrared, or FLIR, imagery used for targeting was restricted to the narrow field of view of the head-up display or to the restrictions of a head-down display. With HMD, pilots can view the FLIR imagery in its true location, thereby greatly enhancing their awareness of the immediate environment."

In addition to these advancements, the HMD allows night vision display capability both on-axis and off-axis using the F-35's 360-degree array of infrared sensors, which is called a distributed aperture system. The sensors work in combination with night-camera technology.

Source

VSI is now under contract to develop the Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. Some of the features that will be provided by this next generation helmet system include:

Binocular Wide Field-of-View

Integrated day/night capability with sensor fusion

Highly accurate head tracking hardware and software

Digital image source for helmet vision displayed symbology

Custom helmet shell, liner and suspension system for lightest weight, optimal C.G. and maximum pilot comfort.

Source

The HMD will also be able to display direct information and images from the DAS and EOTS systems. This means that the display can feature FLIR/IRST/CCD TV and NV images or information from the integrated sensors embedded throughout the aircraft. This allows the pilot an unobstructed 360 view, even through the airframe via the external sensors mentioned above.

The F-35 is also fitted with additional sensor systems, including a an "infrared search and track (IRST)" system for defense and air-to-air combat, and a targeting system for precision attack on ground targets.

The IRST system is known as the "distributed aperture infrared system (DAIRS or DAS)". DAS includes six IR sensors mounted on different points of the fuselage to provide full-sphere IR detection and tracking. DAS can identify and pinpoint both incoming missiles and airborne targets.

Targeting is performed by the "electro-optical targeting system (EOTS)", featuring a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) imager; a CCD TV camera; a targeting laser; and a laser spot tracker. Unlike typical contemporary targeting systems, EOTS is not turret-mounted. It has a wide aperture that is blended into the aircraft's nose contours, covered by a window that is opaque to radar, and remains operational through the entire mission. It is derived from technology developed for the Lockheed Martin "Sniper" targeting pod.

Source

Originally posted by Harlequin
This is Helmet Mounted Display - it projects the data from the HUD onto the screen...

You are getting caught up in the terminology without really researching what the system in question can do. Yes I agree that it is a display mounted on a helmet, hence the terminology Helmet Mounted Display. However as I said before it should not be confused with the F-35's HMDS for the simple fact that It cannot perform the same functions. It is a JHMCS, which also displays [I]some[/I] information and data pertaining to targeting and tracking onto the display no matter where the pilot looks. However it is limited in the amount and type of information and it cannot replace the HUD for that simple reason. This is why the hundreds of fighters already equipped with the JHMCS would be permanently grounded if they had their HUD displays covered or removed. The JHMCS and other similar systems work in conjunction with the HUD to provide the pilot with all relevant information. No matter the targeting information they can display they are still complimentary systems which are both required when used in legacy fighters already equipped with a traditional HUD. It may be bit confusing but don't let the name fool you, look at the capabilities instead.

JHMCS

Originally posted by Harlequin
i also bet if he presses a button he can get a rolling map read out as well from one of the griphons tft screens...

And maybe if he presses another button he can watch live EURO 08 qualifying matches. Honesty why do you feel the need to always antagonize and make this a 'US issue' whenever I or someone else points out how things really are? I was not bashing this new Swedish system, just point out that it should not be confused with the F-35's HMDS as they are not the same. I don't see anything wrong with that fact, why does it apparently bother you so much?

Anyway, more information on the Swedish Cobra HMD which supports all that I've said above…

First flight with Cobra HMD for Gripen

Sweden orders Helmet-Mounted Display for Gripen fighters

Cobra HMD for Swedish Gripens

For the record this is not "new", it has been in development for some time now. It first flew in 04 and was initially reported even before that. What is new is the recent announcement of a large scale order.

[edit on 4-10-2007 by WestPoint23]

To summarise all that, would it be accurate to say the F-35 allows integration of the IRSR/FLIR into the HMD, and the full functionality of the HUD on the HMD as well.


Whereas the Cobra does not offer the former, and only the vital stuff of the latter?




As regards the procurement efficiency - what is sweden's defence budget? What is say... France's.


See the difference.

reply to post by WestPoint23


I stand very much corrected (and star`d you as well) - top post

Originally posted by Harlequin
That is very very small compared to say

aviationweek.typepad.com...

guess someones been playing Halo while at the designing table
look simmiler to a sparten helmet

Originally posted by WestPoint23
[

Originally posted by kilcoo316
Its more evidence of the efficiency of Sweden's procurement system.

How so...?

Well, for a country with a population not much bigger than New York City's (and 1/30th less than the US's), just to be fielding their own HMDS - not to mention their own 4.5th gen fighter - is a pretty impressive feat

The helmet and display system have been developed by BAE Systems, the mask by G4, the helmet tracking system by Denel Optronics of South Africa, and the display symbology by Saab.

Except for the integration of Saab symbology (software) used on the Gripen into the display system I do not see anything national there. And as I have pointed out this particular display system is not exactly new or revolutionary, in terms of technology.

[edit on 7-10-2007 by WestPoint23]

Originally posted by WestPoint23
Except for the integration of Saab symbology (software) used on the Gripen into the display system I do not see anything national there. And as I have pointed out this particular display system is not exactly new or revolutionary, in terms of technology.

Doesn't matter does it - end of the day the Swedes have it on their planes (despite working within the framework of a very modest defense budget).


Kudos to them.

Originally posted by WestPoint23
And maybe if he presses another button he can watch live EURO 08 qualifying matches.

You're kidding me!!! And uninterrupted Beer Supply too?!


Wp23, Question:

What is the survivability of the F-35 cockpit if core electronic,avionics node/relay(s) are rendered inoperable?
Are there any backup analog devices on board?
You know the usual: altitude, artificial horizon,vario-meter, ground speed etc..

And/or are the failsafe systems so well isolated that there is a backup digital display for base flight readouts(again altitude, artificial horizon, vario-meter, ground speed..) that will display as long as the a/c has engine thrust(or alternate power source).

I can answer that - if the hydrolic systems (or electronic sytems) totally fail then the aircraft is falling out of the sky - `modern` aircraft and that includes airliners no longer have manual reversal

which btw is the reason why the English Electric Lightning will never fly in the uk airspace again

Major issue is no manual reversal on hydraulic flight controls........aircraft no have it....CAA no like it.

Originally posted by Daedalus3
What is the survivability of the F-35 cockpit if core electronic,avionics node/relay(s) are rendered inoperable?

Difficult to say, of course there is major redundancy, isolation etc… built into the system, even a back up power source independent of the main engine. Still, something like this is not likely to fail on it's own, at all, in 30 years of military FBW technology there has never been a single case that I am aware of where that system has failed in flight without an external stimulus. And as a Raptor driver once said, the FBW system on the F-22 is designed to never fail and that only a direct missile hit would cause to stop functioning. It is my opinion that the F-35 will not be any less safe than current digital FBW fighters, regardless of it's display system…

Directed EMP weapon at a flight of FBW aircraft *might* result in system failure.

and United 232 Heavy came down when its systems failed and all the backups failed as well but that is a civilian aircraft after all (DC-10 , 1989 , no manual reversal)

Originally posted by WestPoint23
Difficult to say, of course there is major redundancy, isolation etc… built into the system, even a back up power source independent of the main engine.

The question I'd like to put forth is, does the F-35 have any non-digital instruments that will function in the event of a main generator failure or something? Sorry if this is what Daedelus3 was asking before, but I really don't know.

And as a Raptor driver once said, the FBW system on the F-22 is designed to never fail

I think we can all safely say that it'd be odd if the FBW system on the F-22 was designed to fail at regular intervals .

Originally posted by WestPoint23
Still, something like this is not likely to fail on it's own, at all, in 30 years of military FBW technology there has never been a single case that I am aware of where that system has failed in flight without an external stimulus.

Oh yes external stimulus is something that I had definitely included.
The question came to mind because I remember seeing a pic of the F-35 instrument panel and it was just one or two massive MFDs.

And I also remember seeing an MKI cockpit which had quite a few sad (farm tractor type) gauges on it. When I asked the concerned person about the presence of these gauges even though there were many MFDs that displayed the same info, he said they were auxilliary; incase of an electrical outage or something..

So thats where I'm coming from.

Originally posted by Harlequin
Directed EMP weapon at a flight of FBW aircraft *might* result in system failure.

Let us forego the discussion regarding conventional directed energy weapons and focus on the only large scale one known, nuclear generated EMP. If we are talking frontline military systems, then all major electrical systems would be shielded against this type of threat, let alone the most critical system on most modern military aircraft. Just to show that all scenarios were considered during the Cold War, besides reducing the radar signature the Raptors cockpit (for example) was designed with tactical nuclear weapons in mind…

Originally posted by Darkpr0
…does the F-35 have any non-digital instruments that will function in the event of a main generator failure or something?

No, I am not aware of any critical flight instrument systems, digital, analog etc… that will function without any electrical input whatsoever. Such as would be the case in the event of dual engine and APU failure… In that case all modern military aircraft are going to go down, how quickly this happens depends on the aircraft type. So once again, all factors considered I think the F-35 is just as "safe" as other aircraft when it comes to this topic...

Originally posted by Darkpr0
I think we can all safely say that it'd be odd if the FBW system on the F-22 was designed to fail at regular intervals…

Point being of course that such systems have been designed to be highly reliable and redundant. This has been demonstrated and proven in large scale for quite some time now.

Maybe someone with more knowledge or information can confirm the F-35 question…?