It was 2005 and my eyes were as round as saucers. I held my breath and watched (from the former-Jedi’s perspective) as Darth Vader’s helmet was placed for the first time on Anakin’s disfigured face in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. This helmet enabled him to breathe, communicate, and see despite receiving grave wounds that would have otherwise killed any lesser being. I wasn’t the only one to marvel at the power of the Jedi as Elbit Systems, Israel, recently introduced a new Helicopter Helmet Mounted Display called JedEyes.
JedEyes provides razor-sharp, high resolution imagery that allows pilots to view more than just the ground and sky. JedEyes produces 3-D dual vision picture-in-picture imagery on a clear visor and has an ultra-wide field of view on a two flat panel display. It’s technology enables the processing and manipulation of visual cues and video sources, such as digital maps. (I wouldn’t mind having that for my car!) In addition, JedEyes has binocular/monocular display, off-the-visor display projection, and distortion correction. This helmet even diminishes occurrences of vertigo and enables pilots to super-impose obstacle symbology onto the mounted display view so they can be forewarned in ample distance and time. The system even guides the pilot to secure waypoints via the shortest distance possible. Sounds like the super-human reflex of a Jedi. Once again, science-fiction has provided the springboard to catapult ideas to science-fact.
