Integration of projection displays into military and commercial aircraft cockpits

摘要

Over the past several years, Active Matrix Liquid Crystal Displays (AMLCDs) have been touted as the ultimate flat panel display for use in the tactical cockpit environment because of their optical and environmental performance. The main drawback for AMLCDs has been the unstable source of supply needed to continue aircraft production at a reasonable cost for upwards of 20 years. Rear projection displays have been discussed as a potential replacement for CRT and AMLCD based displays, providing comparable technical performance, scalable display surface sizes and Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) parts usage. The F/A-18E/F program has been developing the projection based Digital Enhanced Color Display (DECD) for integration into the cockpit as a multi-purpose color display, capable of providing both video and complex graphics formats. This paper will examine projection technologies and discuss some of the major technical challenges and accomplishments encountered during development and integration for aircraft cockpits. In addition, future integration of projection technology into large area displays, panoramic displays and Head-Up Displays (HUDs) will be discussed.