March 06, 2007
 The success and safety of a flight operation is often hindered by the problem of low visibility. Low Visibility is often caused by external factors such as the time of day, as well as inclement weather conditions. One of the goals of NASA’s Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck (IIFD) is to solve this problem by introducing computer generated 3-dimensional imagery to the cockpit. This addition has the potential to enhance a pilot’s situational awareness by allowing the pilot to view their external environment regardless of the current external condition. In addition to this, IIFD offers the advantage of safety by reducing accidents caused by Controlled Flight Into Terrain.
Schinnel Small, a Morgan State University graduate student working with her research advisor, Dr. Kofi Nyarko, is exploring the integration of optical tracking technologies for use within IIFD. As the optical tracker monitors a pilot’s head movement, the imaging system to which it is linked will update the display of the environment, offering the sense of ‘enhanced vision’ to the pilot. Optical Tracking involves the use of cameras, light emitting diodes (LEDs), and reflective material to track objects of interest. The camera may possess a sensor which it uses to detect light emanating from an LED; or it may contain a LED and sensor to both emit light and detect the reflected light from an object.
Unlike mechanical, electromagnetic and acoustic tracking, optical tracking is not physically hindered, affected by interference from metallic objects or prone to errors due to excessive reflections or sound absorption. In addition to this, optical trackers have minimal time lag compared to acoustic tracking and are easily updated. However, this type of tracker is affected by any obstacle present between the sensor and the camera, as well as the intensity of ambient light and the presence of infrared radiation
The investigation of optical tracking jitter will ensure that the IIFD is not affected by prevalent erroneous tracking data, which could possibly obscure the vision in such a system.
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