Thales shows TopOwl helmet mount

PARIS, June 23 (UPI)

Thales has publicly shown for the first time its TopOwl Helmet Mounted Sight Display for helicopter pilots at this week's Paris Air Show.

The TopOwl features augmented reality, a new capability further enhancing helicopter pilots situational awareness in difficult visibility conditions.

Thales, which has headquarters in France, said the TopOwl's augmented reality information is projected right in front of the pilot's eyes and includes synthetic views of the environment made possible through the use of TopOwl's unique fully overlapped 40-degree field of view.

This synthetic view is generated in real time and superimposed on the actual terrain vision, drawing on information from integrated databases, Global Positioning System data and TopOwl's accurate Pilot's Line of Sight measurement.

Projected directly on to the pilot's helmet visor, the 3D Synthetic Vision System imaging will give the crew a virtual representation of the world around the helicopter even in adverse weather when pilots are no longer able to discern the ground from the air due to dust, sandstorms or snow.

"Our role is to work constantly toward improving crew safety and mission success," said Yves Joannic, Thales vice president of Helicopter Avionics." We leverage Thales expertise in head-up displays for both passenger and fighter aircraft together with our experience in helmet-mounted sight displays for helicopters to provide the market with crew-focused innovations."

The TopOwl Helmet Mounted Sight and Display System has been deployed with French and U.S. forces in Afghanistan.