ABSTRACT
This chapter explores new technological developments intended to improve pilots' ability to sense and perceive their environments; these improvements include head-up displays, flight-path displays, night-vision devices, synthetic-vision systems, and laser-retinal displays. It addresses unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as an exponentially expanding aerial system that, similar to the just mentioned technological aviation advancements, is changing how humans visually interact with a system. The chapter examines a brief summary of some of the visual perception issues related to these aviation technological advancements. The original intended use of head-up displays (HUDs) was for military purposes; however, their use has crossed-over into commercial, business jet and general aviation. The role of attention when using a HUD is crucial to aviation safety in terms of where pilots are consciously putting their focal vision. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) developed guidelines for certifying HUDs for civilian use, and during this certification process, 22 HUD design issues were identified by FAA experts.
