Human factors issues in the design of helmet-mounted displays

The Head-Up Display (HUD) and Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) potentially offer the pilot several critical abilities: maintenance of head-out posture; enhanced situational awareness; real world target location and engagement; and provision of enhanced vision displays (e.g. FLIR). Experience with the HUD in current fast-jet cockpits has led to user acceptance and to the display of a wide range of information. Conversely, there is currently minimal experience of flight with HMDs and hence little is known of this technology on mission performance. Although the HMD has the benefit of cueing pilots as they move their head, it is unclear what the appropriate selection of stabilization cues should be, e.g. attitude information. This review considers a number of technological and psychological factors of which designers of HMDs should be aware.