Company insight
A heads up on the next generation of HUDs
Head-up displays have revolutionised the presentation of information for pilots of both commercial and military aircraft, but along with their many benefits they have always come with limitations. BAE Systems is changing that with its LiteWave system. Product director Lee Tomlinson tells us how.
ochester, UK, is the home of many innovations in the aviation sector, from flight and engine controls to electronic warfare and night vision technology. Home to the Electronic Systems business of BAE Systems, it is about to provide the next major advance in head-up displays (HUD) for pilots. LiteWave is a new lightweight, compact HUD for use in commercial and military aircraft. In a unit that is 70% smaller and lighter than a traditional HUD, LiteWave uses radically different technologies to deliver critical information, such as direction, altitude and speed, directly in a pilot’s line of sight. “About ten years ago, we developed intellectual property for a groundbreaking piece of technology called waveguide, which is a way of moving light around within glass more efficiently,” explains Lee Tomlinson, product director for advanced head up display systems at BAE Systems. “It allows us to circumnavigate complex structures of optics, which usually use arrays of prisms, blocks, mirrors and lenses.”
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“It uses coated nano-structures to move the light around,” he adds. “As cathode ray tube technology becomes obsolete, we have removed that component, as well as the high-voltage power supplies and cables, and we use a digital solution that is far more efficient to manufacture.”
Designed for the pilot
After three years of development, LiteWave is the latest application of waveguide technology, which was first used in BAE Systems’ ultra-compact, dashboard-mounted LiteHUD system. Both solutions can be integrated into almost any cockpit, from turboprop trainers to the next generation of fighter aircraft. Not only is LiteWave smaller and lighter than conventional HUDs, it is also more reliable. Mean time between failures (MTBF) is around 15,000 hours.
HUDs must be visible in all sorts of different lighting and weather conditions.
“It has fewer components, and it doesn’t use the high-voltage components that were relatively fragile and from which electricity could easily leak out,” says Tomlinson. “Solid- state electronics are far more reliable.” Although efficiency, reliability and a small form factor are major advantages, they are nothing without a high level of performance. In this regard, LiteWave again outdoes any HUD system that has gone before. “There are two key parameters to consider. First, the display has to be bright enough to be seen when the background is light, such as the sun shining through a cloud. That requires a huge amount of lumens. And it needs to be uniform, not bright in one corner and dull in another.” The size and placement of the design eye point (DEP) is also crucial. This is the point where the pilot’s eye must be in order to see all of the information in the HUD’s field of view. The eye motion box is the area around the DEP in which pilots can move their head and still see all of the key information. “Usually, the eye motion box is very small, so a pilot has to be very static,” Tomlinson remarks. “It is hard to sit stationary for a long time and it can be very stressful on the
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body. LiteWave gives a much bigger eye motion box that allows the pilot to perform operations that require head movement while still being able to see all of the data. The pilot has much more freedom of movement, and we have had phenomenal feedback from test pilots.”
A game-changing HUD Since developing the world’s first operational HUD back in the 1950s, BAE Systems has produced more than 15,000 HUDs at its Rochester site. This has enabled it to design a system that is not only better for pilots, but also for OEMs. For instance, LiteWave can be installed 80% faster, and its simple design makes it quicker and cheaper to maintain. “Mounting a HUD usually requires one full day,” says Tomlinson. “With our new mounting plate we can do it in four hours, which is very important for aircraft on the production line. Furthermore, acquisition costs are around 20% less than the competition.” Cheaper, more versatile and more reliable, LiteWave will turn the market on its head. ●
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