This paper describes the design of a truly optimal simulator visual system, i.e., one that fully satisfies human visual requirements with minimum information processing and display equipment.

The concept is based on the fact that only 130,000 visual resolution elements or pixels can be observed by the eye at any instant in time. This, coupled with the inability of the human to distinguish intermittent visual occurrences if they occur at moderate rates (30 per second) leads to the conclusion that one should be able to generate a wide field high resolution display with no more information processing requirement than those of a conventional 525 Tine television system. The impact of this is very great. Current wide field visual systems require several 1000 line image generation and display systems to produce resolutions significantly poorer than the desired one minute of arc human capability.

The concept takes advantage of the variable acuity nature of human vision by utilizing non-linear projection optics to redistribute pixels on a linear light valve format in the correct geometric pattern on the viewing screen so the eyes' requirement is met in both field of view and resolution. The optical system is then slaved to the observers' viewpoint by an eye position sensor and closed loop control system.

This paper describes the 10 years of development on this and related concepts conducted by MCAIR and supported by the Navy, NASA, and USAF. It concludes with design and performance details of a demonstration system being constructed for the USAF (HRL), Williams AFB, AZ.

Ralph Fisher

Affiliation

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Design of an Optical Simulator Visual System