HMD & Neck Injuries:---

[MastanKhan]

@Oscar @VCheng @Arsalan @MastanKhan Spinalcord injury is not related to weight but to torsional forces damaging fixed neck at ejection. The major weight concern is because of CAAHP module. Future systems would be distributable gaining considerable weight reduction.

Hi,

That is why I mentioned 'during seat ejection' in my first post---.

 

[Thorough Pro]

Do you know the difference in side mounted radars and HMDS/HMCS?

Radar with side antennas is ergonomically better than Helmet mounted system. Not only in ejection but also in looking for targets consistently in case of engagement as well as with the neck movement more than desired.

this is just a display, cuing system works with sensors mounted all around the helmet which calculate the direction the pilot is looking in with the change in helmet mounted sensor position with reference to their static communicators in the cockpit. This position calculation then moves the missile IR sensor in the same direction as the pilots is looking in. It's these sensors that make the helmet bigger and heavier

Something like this, combined with cuing of WVR AAMs could perhaps create a simple HMD/S :

This topic is covered in detail in the vid.
go to 4:54

Hi,

That is why I mentioned 'during seat ejection' in my first post---.

 

[Armchair]

this is just a display, cuing system works with sensors mounted all around the helmet which calculate the direction the pilot is looking in with the change in helmet mounted sensor position with reference to their static communicators in the cockpit. This position calculation then moves the missile IR sensor in the same direction as the pilots is looking in. It's these sensors that make the helmet bigger and heavier

Hi, I am aware how a cuing system works, that is why I mentioned something like this combined with a cuing system would make a simple solution for HMD/S.

I see that you mean that the weight problem is centered more on the cueing system than anything else... that is a good point. Perhaps the solution to that is to mount a camera to monitor the helmet based on markings on the helmet. Or to use something like one of those modern day video gaming controllers that you first zero in, and then motion detection takes care of the rest.

Incidentally the video I shared suggest spatial disorientation is much less with that solution.

 

[Thorough Pro]

The first comment you are referring to was not in response to your post.

Video in post #32 above, explains the helmet weight problem in detail

Hi, I am aware how a cuing system works, that is why I mentioned something like this combined with a cuing system would make a simple solution for HMD/S.

I see that you mean that the weight problem is centered more on the cueing system than anything else... that is a good point. Perhaps the solution to that is to mount a camera to monitor the helmet based on markings on the helmet. Or to use something like one of those modern day video gaming controllers that you first zero in, and then motion detection takes care of the rest.

Incidentally the video I shared suggest spatial disorientation is much less with that solution.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Yes, that is why I referred to the the weight, and its distribution relative to the ejection axis. Weight reduction is a workable solution, up to a limit. Future designs will need to look at incorporating a specific neck stabilization device as part of the ejection sequence to limit not only these torsional forces, but also the compressive forces, in addition to distributing the weight of the hardware to other areas, as you mention.

I think what is implied by @messiach are “distributed systems” not just distributing the hardware around on the helmet - although important but benefits would reach a certain saturation point. Distributable systems refer to having other systems in your platform or connected via network to handle computational workload as much as possible. Clould based apps are the best examples of distributed systems where all the computation/data storage is done in huge servers but their applications are available to a light device such as cellphone. I believe certain innovations maybe possible to let other systems on the aircraft (not located on the pilots helmet) to do most of the workload, tracking pilots head position etc and have the helmet just act as a display. This would be an ideal scenario in my opinion and is easier said than done.

 

[VCheng]

I think what is implied by @messiach are “distributed systems” not just distributing the hardware around on the helmet - although important but benefits would reach a certain saturation point. Distributable systems refer to having other systems in your platform or connected via network to handle computational workload as much as possible. Clould based apps are the best examples of distributed systems where all the computation/data storage is done in huge servers but their applications are available to a light device such as cellphone. I believe certain innovations maybe possible to let other systems on the aircraft (not located on the pilots helmet) to do most of the workload, tracking pilots head position etc and have the helmet just act as a display. This would be an ideal scenario in my opinion and is easier said than done.

Distributing the workload to other aircraft subsystem also takes the weight away from the helmet, by not requiring fewer components to be present on it. That is not just an implication, but a given.

 

[Goenitz]

Do pilots have HANS device as used by F1 cars? @MastanKhan

 

[messiach]

Distributive system is where cueing is seperated from MMPS - position sensors. MMPS are moved to the base of the head. Cueing & projection self-corrects with the output from MMPS. Most believe its a plug anf play war-ready system, which is absolutely not the case.

Distributing the workload to other aircraft subsystem also takes the weight away from the helmet, by not requiring fewer components to be present on it. That is not just an implication, but a given.

 

[VCheng]

Distributive system is where cueing is seperated from MMPS - position sensors. MMPS are moved to the base of the head. Cueing & projection self-corrects with the output from MMPS. Most believe its a plug anf play war-ready system, which is absolutely not the case.

As I said above:

A work in progress, as me and @Arsalan mentioned above.

There is also work going on to incorporate the display inside a contact lens, and a dedicated NFC subnetwork allocated to it.

 

[messiach]

Interesting. CAAHP autocorrection should be very unstable with contact lenses.

There is also work going on to incorporate the display inside a contact lens, and a dedicated NFC subnetwork allocated to it.

 

[VCheng]

Interesting. CAAHP autocorrection should be very unstable with contact lenses.

There is a lot of work still to be done, but progress is steady. There are combinations of hard and soft displays, and some are even looking ahead to certain devices that communicate more directly with the visual cortex. A helmet with a complex sensor pad applied to the scalp that tracks and launches with the pilot just looking at a target and thinking about annihilating it could be a goal.

 

[TheDarkKnight]

Distributing the workload to other aircraft subsystem also takes the weight away from the helmet, by not requiring fewer components to be present on it. That is not just an implication, but a given.

Well as I had explained distributed systems are not the same as “distributing hardware to other areas”. You are not just picking HW components from one place and moving to another - although I don't mean to discount that as a potential solution, as improvements in HW tech may make it a viable solution.

It basically means networked systems which appear to the developer as a single system. Weight reduction can be achieved by building a distributed system in which HW on the helmet is kept as simple and light as possible, and have other systems on the aircraft do the heavy lifting.

 

[Patriot01]

Hi,

Seems like the helmets equipped with HMD's are not a safe bet for pilots with not so strong neck muscles---.

Helmets with HMD are heavier than conventional pilot helmets & in case of a deployment of an ejection seat from an aircraft may result in severe injuries to pilot's neck due to the weight of the helmet and resulting forces produced due to accelerated motion.

It could possibly result in the broken neck of the pilot or severe injuries to the neck.

The first article talks about minimum body weight for a pilot wearing HMD.

The other articles are informative as well---.

Looks like that pretty soon we would be seeing pilots with thick strong necks flying the modern aircrafts with HMD's

https://www.defensenews.com/breakin...-expanded-risk-of-neck-damage-to-f-35-pilots/

http://medind.nic.in/iab/t13/i1/iabt13i1p37.pdf

https://www.asma.org/asma/media/AsMA/pdf-meetings/2017 Annual Meeting/posters-2017/201705_292_Parr.pdf

Pilots are not supposed to have weak neck muscles.

 

[VCheng]

Pilots are not supposed to have weak neck muscles.

Right.

9Gs times 3.5 KG is over 30KG on the top of the head. Try it sometime.

(Not even mentioning ejection.)

 

[MastanKhan]

Hi,

Watch this video posted by @Thorough Pro ---time 4:57 to better understand what the issue is---.

If you have not watched the video---you would not know the physics behind the problem---.