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62 records · Page 4
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Head-mounted spatial instruments: Synthetic reality or impossible dream

A spatial instrument is defined as a display device which has been either geometrically or symbolically enhanced to better enable a user to accomplish a particular task. Research conducted over the past several years on 3-D spatial instruments has shown that perspective displays, even when viewed from the correct viewpoint, are subject to systematic viewer biases. These biases interfere with correct spatial judgements of the presented pictorial information. It is also found that deliberate, appropriate geometric distortion of the perspective projection of an image can improve user performance. These two findings raise intriguing questions concerning the design of head-mounted spatial instruments. The design of such instruments may not only require the introduction of compensatory distortions to remove the neutrally occurring biases but also may significantly benefit from the introduction of artificial distortions which enhance performance. These image manipulations, however, can cause a loss of visual-vestibular coordination and induce motion sickness. Additionally, adaptation to these manipulations is apt to be impaired by computational delays in the image display. Consequently, the design of head-mounted spatial instruments will require an understanding of the tolerable limits of visual-vestibular discord.

Ellis, Stephen R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Fusion interfaces for tactical environments: An application of virtual reality technology

The term Fusion Interface is defined as a class of interface which integrally incorporates both virtual and nonvirtual concepts and devices across the visual, auditory, and haptic sensory modalities. A fusion interface is a multisensory virtually-augmented synthetic environment. A new facility has been developed within the Human Engineering Division of the Armstrong Laboratory dedicated to exploratory development of fusion interface concepts. This new facility, the Fusion Interfaces for Tactical Environments (FITE) Facility is a specialized flight simulator enabling efficient concept development through rapid prototyping and direct experience of new fusion concepts. The FITE Facility also supports evaluation of fusion concepts by operation fighter pilots in an air combat environment. The facility is utilized by a multidisciplinary design team composed of human factors engineers, electronics engineers, computer scientists, experimental psychologists, and oeprational pilots. The FITE computational architecture is composed of twenty-five 80486-based microcomputers operating in real-time. The microcomputers generate out-the-window visuals, in-cockpit and head-mounted visuals, localized auditory presentations, haptic displays on the stick and rudder pedals, as well as executing weapons models, aerodynamic models, and threat models.

Haas, Michael W.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Perceptual and performance consequences of flight in virtual worlds

There are two primary purposes for head-mounted systems in aeronautical settings. One is for helmet-mounted sights and teleoperated (head-slaved) weapons systems. Bennett, Johnson, Perrone, and Phatak (1988) evaluated head tracking performance during passive and controlled flight. In that study, comparisons were also made of head tracking performance in sterile and relatively complex virtual worlds. That study confirmed the robustness of head tracking performance across a wide variety of visual scenes. A second use of virtual world displays is for aircraft control. Aircraft controllability using head-mounted, panel-mounted, or simulated out-the-window scenes has been systematically examined. Those studies reported the range of rotorcraft flight tasks in which head-mounted virtual worlds provided some advantages. Two studies will be reported that examine the perceptual/performance effects of virtual worlds. The first examines head tracking performance with roll-stabilized versus non-roll stabilized virtual worlds. The purpose of the study was to (1) examine display strategies used in current display systems and (2) study the adaptability of observers to estimated glide slope angles using head-slaved versus head-stabilized imagery. The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of wide field-of-regards during final approaches to a runway.

Bennett, C. Thomas↗
NASA NTRS1989

Head-mounted spatial instruments II: Synthetic reality or impossible dream

A spatial instrument is defined as a spatial display which has been either geometrically or symbolically enhanced to enable a user to accomplish a particular task. Research conducted over the past several years on 3-D spatial instruments has shown that perspective displays, even when viewed from the correct viewpoint, are subject to systematic viewer biases. These biases interfere with correct spatial judgements of the presented pictorial information. The design of spatial instruments may not only require the introduction of compensatory distortions to remove the naturally occurring biases but also may significantly benefit from the introduction of artificial distortions which enhance performance. However, these image manipulations can cause a loss of visual-vestibular coordination and induce motion sickness. Consequently, the design of head-mounted spatial instruments will require an understanding of the tolerable limits of visual-vestibular discord.

Ellis, Stephen R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

From Antarctica to space: Use of telepresence and virtual reality in control of remote vehicles

In the Fall of 1993, NASA Ames deployed a modified Phantom S2 Remotely-Operated underwater Vehicle (ROV) into an ice-covered sea environment near McMurdo Science Station, Antarctica. This deployment was part of the antarctic Space Analog Program, a joint program between NASA and the National Science Foundation to demonstrate technologies relevant for space exploration in realistic field setting in the Antarctic. The goal of the mission was to operationally test the use of telepresence and virtual reality technology in the operator interface to a remote vehicle, while performing a benthic ecology study. The vehicle was operated both locally, from above a dive hole in the ice through which it was launched, and remotely over a satellite communications link from a control room at NASA's Ames Research Center. Local control of the vehicle was accomplished using the standard Phantom control box containing joysticks and switches, with the operator viewing stereo video camera images on a stereo display monitor. Remote control of the vehicle over the satellite link was accomplished using the Virtual Environment Vehicle Interface (VEVI) control software developed at NASA Ames. The remote operator interface included either a stereo display monitor similar to that used locally or a stereo head-mounted head-tracked display. The compressed video signal from the vehicle was transmitted to NASA Ames over a 768 Kbps satellite channel. Another channel was used to provide a bi-directional Internet link to the vehicle control computer through which the command and telemetry signals traveled, along with a bi-directional telephone service. In addition to the live stereo video from the satellite link, the operator could view a computer-generated graphic representation of the underwater terrain, modeled from the vehicle's sensors. The virtual environment contained an animate graphic model of the vehicle which reflected the state of the actual vehicle, along with ancillary information such as the vehicle track, science markers, and locations of video snapshots. The actual vehicle was driven either from within the virtual environment or through a telepresence interface. All vehicle functions could be controlled remotely over the satellite link.

Stoker, Carol↗
NASA NTRS1992

Assessment of a head-mounted miniature monitor

Two experiments were conducted to assess the capabilities and limitations of the Private Eye, a miniature, head-mounted monitor. The first experiment compared the Private Eye with a cathode ray tube (CRT) and hard copy in both a constrained and unconstrained work envelope. The task was a simulated maintenance and assembly task that required frequent reference to the displayed information. A main effect of presentation media indicated faster placement times using the CRT as compared with hard copy. There were no significant differences between the Private Eye and either the CRT or hard copy for identification, placement, or total task times. The goal of the second experiment was to determine the effects of various local visual parameters on the ability of the user to accurately perceive the information of the Private Eye. The task was an interactive video game. No significant performance differences were found under either bright or dark ambient illumination environments nor with either visually simple or complex task backgrounds. Glare reflected off of the bezel surrounding the monitor did degrade performance. It was concluded that this head-mounted, miniature monitor could serve a useful role for in situ operations, especially in microgravity environments.

Hale, J. P., II↗
NASA NTRS1998

Object Creation and Human Factors Evaluation for Virtual Environments

The main objective of this project is to provide test objects for simulated environments utilized by the recently established Army/NASA Virtual Innovations Lab (ANVIL) at Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Al. The objective of the ANVIL lab is to provide virtual reality (VR) models and environments and to provide visualization and manipulation methods for the purpose of training and testing. Visualization equipment used in the ANVIL lab includes head-mounted and boom-mounted immersive virtual reality display devices. Objects in the environment are manipulated using data glove, hand controller, or mouse. These simulated objects are solid or surfaced three dimensional models. They may be viewed or manipulated from any location within the environment and may be viewed on-screen or via immersive VR. The objects are created using various CAD modeling packages and are converted into the virtual environment using dVise. This enables the object or environment to be viewed from any angle or distance for training or testing purposes.

Lindsey, Patricia F.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Head-Mounted and Head-Up Display Glossary

One of the problems in head-up and helmet-mounted display (HMD) literature has been a lack of standardization of words and abbreviations. Several different words have been used for the same concept; for example, flight path angle, flight path marker, velocity vector, and total velocity vector all refer to the same thing. In other cases, the same term has been used with two different meanings, such as binocular field-of-view which means the field-of-view visible to both left and right eyes according to some or the field-of-view visible to either the left or right eye or both according to others. Many of the terms used in HMD studies have not been well-defined. We need to have a common language to ensure that system descriptions are communicated. As an example, the term 'stabilized' has been widely used with two meanings. 'Roll-stabilized' has been used to mean a symbol which rotates to indicate the roll or bank of the aircraft. 'World-stabilized' and 'head-stabilized' have both been used to indicate symbols which move to remain fixed with respect to external objects. HMDs present unique symbology problems not found in HUDs. Foremost among these is the issue of maintaining spatial orientation of the symbols. All previous flight displays, round dial instruments, HDDs, and HUDs have been fixed in the cockpit. With the HMD, the flight display can move through a large angle. The coordinates use in transforming from the real-world to the aircraft to the HMD have not been consistently defined. This glossary contains terms relating to optics and vision, displays, and flight information, weapons and aircraft systems. Some definitions, such as Navigation Display, have been added to clarify the definitions for Primary Flight Display and Primary Flight Reference. A list of HUD/HMD related abbreviations is also included.

Newman, Richard L.↗