Augmented reality to improve workdays in the sky
The average airline pilot flies no more than 1000 hours a year. There are many reasons for this, but fatigue is foremost. Obviously, a pilot’s responsibilities are endless and varied – not to mention, the job can take a mental, physical and emotional toll.
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After all, pilots are the caretakers of the sky. In an occupation where the slightest miscalculation or mistake can cost lives (not to mention millions of dollars in damage) steps must be taken to ease the burden that pilots face.
Smart glasses could make a pilot’s life much easier. Credit: Unsplash, Ross Parmly @rparmly
Luckily, an emerging technology could provide a solution in the not-too-distant future.
Smart glasses, smarter pilots
Fighter pilots in the air force can easily monitor vital data without taking their eyes off the window. However, airline pilots must monitor a huge amount of equipment while also watching out for immediate hazards.
Granted, fighter pilots move at much quicker speeds with much more turns and potential dangers.
AR could one day give airline pilots the same HUD used by the air force. Credit: Road to VR
Nevertheless, the pilot flying you to your next vacation destination would benefit from having vital info like altitude, speed, and cabin pressure in the corner of his or her eye.
High-tech headset
Vuzix is currently working with a global Tier-1 Aerospace firm to build a customized commercial avionics waveguide-based head mounted display (HMD) system.
The goal: once worn, the headset provides the pilot with endless features in an intuitive, hands-free way. This could include flight path vector, altitude, airspeed, waypoints, and a 360-degree view.
Ultimately, it could allow pilots to overcome the modern limitations of heads-up displays.