Aviation helmets have always served as an interface between technology and flyers. The functional evolution of helmets continued with the advent of radio when helmets were modified to accept communication components and later, oxygen masks. As development matured, interest in safety increased as evident in more robust designs. Designing helmets became a balance between adding new capabilities and reducing the helmet' s weight. As the research community better defined acceptable limits of weight-tolerances with tools such as the "Knox Box" criteria, system developers added and subtracted technologies while remaining within these limits.With most helmet-mounted technologies being independent of each other, the level of precision in mounting these technologies was not as significant a concern as it is today. The attachment of new components was acceptable as long as the components served their purpose. However this independent concept has become obsolete with the dawn of modem helmet mounted displays. These complex systems are interrelated and demand precision in their attachment to the helmet. The helmets' role now extends beyond serving as a means to mount the technologies to the head, but is now instrumental in critical visual alignment of complex night vision and missile cueing technologies. These new technologies demand a level of helmet fit and component alignment previously not seen in past helmet designs. This paper presents some of the design, integration and logistical issues gleaned during the development of the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) to include the application of head-track technologies in forensic investigations.
The on-deck measurement of F-35C noise levels occurred during the DT-II sea trials aboard the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in October 2015. The existence of aircraft carrier flight deck fighter noise data is extremely rare, with this data set being only the second of its kind in terms of its scope. Custom acoustic recording instrumentation was designed to obtain quality broadband noise measurements of high-amplitude signals, protected from extraneous noise due to high wind speeds, and shielded from intense electromagnetic interference from the multiple on-board radar systems. The data collected allow for the estimation of noise exposures at all pertinent flight deck locations where crewmembers are positioned. [Work supported by USAFRL through ORISE and F-35 JPO.]
Today, warfighters are burdened by a web of cables linking technologies that span the head and torso regions of the body. These cables help to provide interoperability between helmet-worn peripherals such as head mounted displays (HMDs), cameras, and communication equipment with chest-worn computers and radios. Although promoting enhanced capabilities, this cabling also poses snag hazards and makes it difficult for the warfighter to extricate himself from his kit when necessary. A newly developed wireless personal area network (WPAN), one that uses optical transceivers, may prove to be an acceptable alternative to traditional cabling. Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing are exploring how best to mount the WPAN transceivers to the body in order to facilitate unimpeded data transfer while also maintaining the operator's natural range of motion. This report describes the twostep research process used to identify the performance limitations and usability of a body-worn optical wireless system. Firstly, researchers characterized the field of view for the current generation of optical WPAN transceivers. Then, this field of view was compared with anthropometric data describing the range of motion of the cervical vertebrae to see if the data link would be lost at the extremes of an operator's head movement. Finally, this report includes an additional discussion of other possible military applications for an optical WPAN.
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