BAE Systems PLC
HELMET TRACKER BUFFETING COMPENSATION

Abstract:

A method and apparatus are provided for determining the orientation of an object relative to fixed, moving or moveable platform likely to be exposed to buffeting or similar effects. The object may for example be a helmet worn by a pilot of an aircraft in which orientation of the helmet relative the aircraft while in flight may usefully be known, in particular when determining the position of space-stabilised symbols being displayed in an associated helmet-mounted digital display system. According to the method, not only may orientation of an object may be predicted at some time ahead of a time point of validity of source sensor data--a useful feature for digital display systems--but the functionality carrying out the prediction may be dynamically configured to according to a detected severity of buffeting upon the object and upon the tracker system sensors to reduce the effects of the buffeting upon the quality of data output by the tracker system. The method includes functionality to measure the severity of any buffeting using the same source data as used to determine orientation of the object.