Universal Avionics (Booth 2268) has unveiled a new wearable head-up display (HUD) for business aircraft at NBAA-BACE 2018. It integrates Universal’s InSight display system avionics suite with parent company Elbit Systems’s SkyLens wearable HUD. This new technology is a direct result of Elbit’s acquisition of Universal Avionics in April.

“We’ve started to integrate our product portfolio, mostly head-down and head-up [products],” said Dror Yahav, Elbit Systems v-p of commercial aviation. “‘Head-up, head-down’ technologies have of course been integrated before in various business jet platforms,” he said. “The integration of Universal’s InSight and Elbit Systems’s SkyLens takes this technology into a new level of functionality which the market has never seen before.”

The integration of the two companies’ products allows the SkyLens wearable HUD to show flight management system (FMS) information superimposed over a view of the outside world, allowing for a better understanding of navigation data, the company said. It also provides a more intuitive user interface that allows users to “look, point, and click” with SkyLens as well as allows the pilot to program the FMS while looking outside the aircraft.

“Leveraging the fact that these two systems are now owned by the same design house and company enables us to bring the augmented reality [AR] trend into the aviation world so operators can receive full flight management information generated by the FMS, superimposed on the real world,” he said. “The operator can control the avionics by 'look and select' while maintaining his/her complete attention looking out of the window. The integration also allows for improved performance with a significant reduction of workload, better single-pilot operation, and a new level of safety and operational effectiveness.”

Reliance on SkyLens and InSight varies during phase of flight, according to Universal Avionics. During the en route phase, the pilot is most likely to monitor and rely on InSight (head down), but in the approach-to-landing phase, SkyLens (head-up) becomes key.

Simplifying Approaches

“We looked at the approach phase as the one that is most challenging,” said Yahav, “especially if you’re getting new instructions or changes. Typically, one pilot will put his hand to the FMS, and the other will monitor to make sure the other pilot doesn’t make a mistake. The workload increases dramatically. If there’s a mistake in the FMS, you could go to a different waypoint or approach while the autopilot is coupled to the FMS. It’s hard to recover, and takes a lot of attention within the cockpit.”

What the new AR technology does, he explained, “is couple the FMS and FMS display to be superimposed on the real world.” Looking through the SkyLens, the pilot wearing the device can not only “see” outside the aircraft in any direction, because vision isn’t limited just to a fixed-in-place 35- to 40-degree field-of-view HUD, but the pilot can also “see” all the elements of the flight on the SkyLens display. SkyLens tracks the pilot’s eye position, so it always knows where the pilot is looking. And because SkyLens is worn on the pilot’s head, essentially the pilot has an unlimited field-of-view, in any direction.

“When you look out at the real environment,” he said, “you see the runway, the approach, the flight path, initial approach fix, all layered over the real world.” These elements are presented on synthetic vision system (SVS) and enhanced vision system (EVS) imagery layers. “This is important when you do a go-around or fly a curved approach, like an RNP approach. You can see the whole thing, not just information captured through 40 degrees [field-of-view], but all the way, visually.”

After the final approach fix, SkyLens goes beyond the traditional HUD information and symbology by providing the ability to see the runway in low visibility and at night via SVS and EVS. The EVS will conform to FAR 91.176, eventually enabling a full landing to touchdown looking only at EVS imagery without using natural vision.

Look, Point, Click

The new key functionality, which is being demonstrated this week at NBAA-BACE 2018, permits control of the FMS and flight deck with the pilot's sight using SkyLens. This look, point, and click capability allows the pilot to program and update the flight path, runway selected, and other FMS commands during critical approach phases without looking at the instrument panel or console.

For example, suppose ATC instructs the pilot to switch to a different approach or a parallel runway before the final approach fix. “We will allow the pilot to look at the airport, select visually the new approach, then auto reprogram the FMS,” Yahav said. “The outcome of the new flight plan will be visually presented on the real world view.”

When maneuvering to intercept the new final approach course, SkyLens will make this much easier. Instead of having to select from a list of waypoints and not knowing exactly where these waypoints are or which ones are already behind you, Yahav explained, SkyLens will help “you intercept in a reasonable way. When you look at the whole new flight plan graphically presented in front of you, superimposed on the real world, you’re able to look with your eyes where you would like to intercept [the inbound course] on the approach. And you can select that as the next waypoint you want to fly to. The FMS will be updated and the autopilot will direct you to that particular waypoint.”

With ADS-B In capability and datalinking, pilots will also be able to see traffic and other information on SkyLens.

“The combination of these technologies provides existing operators with added utility and capabilities that were never envisioned during the original type design of the aircraft they were operating,” said Universal Avionics CEO Paul DeHerrera. “Many flight decks cannot accommodate a 'traditional HUD' system due to space restrictions and cost.”

Thus, InSight/SkyLens provides a retrofit path for thousands of operators, he added, while improving reliability, safety, and situational awareness during all phases of aircraft operations. “The wearable HUD technology of SkyLens integrated with the latest-generation flight display system of InSight brings two of the most advanced technologies together, operating in harmony across the various phases of flight. Bringing these new technologies together for the first time, making them available to both retrofit and forward-fit customers is game changing.”

“This is going to be the first step in our new innovative way of flying,” said Yahav. “We have a list of more items, this is only the beginning. We can do magnificent things [to improve the] effectiveness of flying.”