Citation

McLanaghan R. Transp. Res. Rec. 1981; 803: 46-52.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1981, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The most challenging aspect of flight simulation is representation of the visual scene as it appears through the aircraft windshield. A review is made of the techniques that have been used and a discussion is included of film systems, television cameras and models, and the latest fully digital systems. Helicopter flying at low altitude necessitates the generation of a large amount of visual detail over a very large field of view. Currently in development is a system that uses a scanning laser beam over a detailed model of the terrain over which the simulator is flying and producing a video signal by using a bank of sensitive photodetectors. For display, a direct-writing laser projector is used to cover a field-of-view of 180 deg x 70 deg in full color. Prototypes of both the image generator and the projector have been built.