An image stabilisation system for improving reading performance with a helmet-mounted display (HMD) during whole-body vibration was tested at night in a helicopter. Six subjects read arrays of 50 numerals as quickly and as accurately as possible while flying in three different flight conditions. The mean reading time for each array while stationary on the ground was approximately 21 s, and the mean reading error was 0.4% without stabilisation. In-flight mean reading time increased to approximately 40 s, and reading error was 18% without the stabilisation system. Stabilising the image significantly reduced the mean in-flight reading time to approximately 25 s with a 4% reading error. Data from the flight trial support the results of previous experiments, which suggest that HMD reading performance with vibration and night viewing conditions may be inferior to performance with daylight conditions.
Adult Aerospace Medicine