San Jose, CA, March 18, 2004--The U.S. Display Consortium (USDC) awarded a research and development contract to Honeywell's Defense and Space business (Albuquerque, NM). The $233,000 award will focus on evaluating military night vision imaging systems (NVIS) to provide recommendations to the Department of Defense for modifications to relevant military standards.
The USDC-funded contract with Honeywell is focused on Black Background NVIS Radiance for liquid crystal displays (LCDs), which are most commonly used in vehicular applications. The acceptance of LCDs into military applications has changed the NVIS requirements necessary for these products. For example, standard polarizers used on most LCDs become quite transmissive in the near infrared. As a result, an NVIS-compliant LCD, when driven black, can appear to glow when viewed through the goggles. This radiance characteristic does not produce an acceptable ambient environment for using night-vision goggles.
To better understand this effect and its consequences, Honeywell will undertake a multipart study that involves developing a database of existing requirements and performance of existing NVIS filtered LCDs. Users will be surveyed to determine acceptable radiance limits. A set of standard test samples covering a range of design parameters will be created and used to develop a repeatable radiance measurement method. An acceptable limit for black state NVIS radiance will be determined and proposed for incorporation into the relevant MIL-STDs documents.
The results of the USDC and Honeywell project will be shared with military display integrators within the consortium and proposed to the Department of Defense to modify the controlling standards documents. The USDC R&D program is a collaborative effort of private industry and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory (Adelphi, MD).
