Helmet-Mounted Displays to Support Off-Axis Pilot Spatial Orientation

Aerial refueling is one of the most demanding and dangerous activities faced by pilots. To monitor refueling, pilots must focus for long periods of time while looking up and outside the aircraft (“off-axis”), a more difficult task than focusing forward in the direction of flight (“on-axis”). To address these challenges, we designed a set of augmented reality display strategies for head-mounted displays (HMDs) that support pilot spatial orientation during off-axis activities, such as refueling. These display strategies include extending traditional on-axis displays (e.g., pitch ladders) for the off-axis context and designing new displays that convey critical information specifically tailored for the off-axis context. In this paper, we present our overall approach and a subset of concepts to address these needs. We also describe plans for formal evaluations.