Heads-up displays go from cockpits to helmets

[figjam]

I want!

http://news.com.com/2100-1041_3-5116...l?tag=nefd_top

http://www.motionresearch.com/

By John Markoff
The New York Times

Fighter pilots have long been able to view flight data projected onto jet windshields within their line of sight. Soon recreational motorcyclists and bicyclists will be able to take advantage of that technology.

Motion Research, a Seattle company former race car driver Dominic Dobson founded in 1993, said it will begin selling an inexpensive information display system next spring that attaches to a motorcycle helmet.

The SportVue head-mounted display will allow riders to see speed, revolutions per minute and gear position without taking their eyes off the road. The system gathers speed information from a global-positioning satellite receiver attached to the rear of the helmet.

The design, based on a patent co-developed by Tom Furness, one of the pioneers of head-mounted display technology, uses a lens and mirror and backlit liquid crystal display to give the viewer the illusion that the information displayed in the periphery of one eye is projected in the distance.

Dobson founded Motion Research when he was racing Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Formula One cars, and his initial idea was to use the display technology for race car drivers. But the cost of producing such displays was prohibitively high a decade ago. He retired in 1998 and recently picked the idea up again, because the costs of the technology have fallen significantly.

"We realized we could build it far more cheaply today," he said. "Not much changed in the technology itself. What happened was the cost of manufacturing changed."

Today, he said, the technology is beginning to appear in the consumer market, both in wearable systems and in some cars, such as certain models of the Cadillac, with systems that project driving information onto the windshield.

But Motion Research will be the first company to attempt a truly low-cost consumer application. The price of the motorcycle SportVue will range from $249 to $349.

The bicycle version of Sportvue, which will be introduced sometime after the motorcycle system, will project speed, distance traveled and heart rate information, like current cyclometers, and range from $150 to $199, Dobson said. He said the company was also in discussions with helmet manufacturers to integrate the display systems into helmets.

Entire contents, Copyright © 2003 The New York Times. All rights reserved.

[duckman]

Imagine having your radar detector built in as well. !!

[Jackrat]

The heart rate would be interesting to see,I wonder what mine would be shortly after over cooking yet another corner.

[Coldkiwi]

radar would be good wouldn't it. I wonder if I can get it to display weapon status as well if I get cut off by a cager and want to exact revenge in a hurry?

 

[bikerboy]

Only in America CK.

[wkid_one]

Why??  At the end of the day - your head is what, all of 1 foot from your instruments.  Also - the last thing I would want blearing in to a corner is some fucken idiot light or the like coming on and warning me of something.

What is there really to tell you the you MUST know??  How fast you are going?  Well surely you can tell that by both the seat of your pants and the sound of your engine???  That is all you really need to know?? 

Remember, a fighter pilot needs quite a bit more information than a motorcyclist does, don't get carried away.

The GP riders have been managing without this....I think us mere mortals can do without it too

[modalx]

Why?? Just because we can!

We don't need palm organisers or home cinema or cell phones that play the freakin' Batman theme in polyponia but we love them anyway.

I WANT ONE!!!!

[Coldkiwi]

I personally would appreciate not having to glance at the speedo at critical times (i.e. cop coming) and take my eyes off the road. the article also noted you could have a shift light and gear indicator amoung other things which would surely be useful.

further reading says they can do a race spec version with split times and lap times+ average speeds (lets hear it for GPS!).... and you're telling me this isn't useful Wkid!? come on man!

[georgedubyabush]

Would anyone else be worried about constant radar pulses an inch from their brain???

[wkid_one]

Ummm - you haven't convinced me one bit.  Pilots are travelling significantly faster and have way more axii to be concerned about - plus they have 5 million dials that are tiny.....we have a great big fucken speedo - how hard is that!  I hardly think

As for checking your speed when a cop is coming - it is hardly difficult enough to warrant a $300 toy that will no doubt fuck the aerodynamics of your helmet up if you are travelling fast enuf to be worried about your speed in the first place. 

Lap times etc???  Isn't that what they hire pit board carriers for??  Listen to the proverbial words of Michael Schumacher - '....whilst the technology is there, I prefer to rely on my instincts to go faster'.

[Coldkiwi]

radar pulses? Its a satellite receiver, not a missle detection system!

 

[georgedubyabush]

Originally posted by Coldkiwi
radar pulses? Its a satellite receiver, not a missle detection system!

 

yeah, I dont have a clue... But why are there warnings against excessive cellphone use etc, that's got to be pretty similar right?

[Coldkiwi]

George...  cellphones are actively transmitting when you use them. And if you get into a low signal area, they juice right up so they don't loose the connection (feel the brain fry)

GPS receivers on the other hand (now some techy person please correct me if I'm wrong) simply scan for the signals from 5 or so satellites they need to triangulate your position. They're not transmitting any data like an iridium phone that has to communicate with the satellites.

Wkid, my argument would be that although a fighter pilot has more dials and data coming in to him than we do, if he does want to look at his information, when he looks back up, he'll probably still be flying. If we happen to look down for a little too long at the wrong time any number of unfortunate things could happen that our delay in reacting may prove critical.

FWIW your point about at what speed aerodynamics and speeding come to a head is a little shallow... I worry about speeding at 130 when aerodynamics are still a fairly minor part of life on a full faired bike. And you have a pit board carrier?? nice for some!

besides, I like gadgets!!

 

man... I really gotta log off and do some work or I'll spout crap all morning!!! (apologies)

[georgedubyabush]

yeah, I was refering to a 'built in radar detector' originally as Duckman said. They must send out a radar pulse right?

[wkid_one]

Not when the aerodymanics you are talking about is your helmet.  Would you want a HUD at the expense of poor vortexes off your helmet causing it to shake and shimmy more than Elvis in a McDonalds queue?

And really - many motorcyclists have managed to check their speed without having accidents until now!

As for liking gadgets - that is more than likely the REAL reason.  Don't give me the bullshit 'it will help my riding' speel - it is more likely the Tim the Tool Man 'gotta have the new toy' reason.

I do think you will be sorely sorely sorely disappointed to buy one.  You would be better wiring up a beeper that warned you when you speed was over 120kph etc (like the cars did/do) if you were that concerned.  Having the HUD is just one more thing your eyes have to focus on - and regardless of it being in your vision - you can only focus on ONE POINT AT A TIME - so you will lose detail of the wider surrounds anyway.