Project 9: Sensor Visualization

Summary of Services Performed: Develop visualization tool for Apache helicopter electrooptical sensor blind spots

Under contract to the Army’s Aviation Technical Test Center (ATTC) at Ft. Rucker, Al. ART developed a software graphics tool to assist in visualizing the regions in the air and ground space around a helicopter that were not observable by the electro-optical sensors on the helicopter. The cone of observability for each sensor on the helicopter was rendered along with the helicopter and the terrain and the shadow produced by the tail of the helicopter for rearward looking sensors was overlaid on this observability cone. Several different ways of rendering the display were implemented to provide alternate views. In one view the space covered by the sensors was rendered and in another view the space not covered by the sensors was rendered. The observer can set the eyepoint using the mouse to move closer to and further away from the helicopter as well as to translate and rotate in the space around the helicopter to customize the viewpoint. The helicopter can be moved in the space over the terrain from a mission plan to identify the vulnerable areas where ground and air launched missiles may not be detectable. This software has now been deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan to support mission planning for helicopter sorties.

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