Intersense awarded army Phase I SBIR contract for miniature inertial-optical Cockpit Helmet Tracking System

EDP Weekly's IT Monitor,  Feb 9, 2004  

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InterSense, Inc., a market leader in precision motion tracking for simulation and training, was awarded a Phase I SBIR contract by the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) titled "Cockpit Helmet Tracking System Using Miniature Inertial Reference Sensors". The primary goal of the contract is to develop and demonstrate the world's most advanced cockpit helmet tracker utilizing InterSense's broad experience in inertial based motion tracking systems.

Under the technical leadership of InterSense Founder and CTO, Eric Foxlin, the research effort combines technology from InterSense's optical-inertial IS-1200 VisTracker product with advanced sensor fusion algorithms to demonstrate a differential inertial sensing system. Performance goals for the prototype include achieving both sub-millimeter position and sub-milliradian orientation tracking accuracy suitable for cockpit environments.

"The proposed solution involves a generalized approach of combining multiple tracking sensor nodes, both optical and inertial for this application, with auto-calibration and filtering algorithms into a robust head tracking system capable of maintaining accuracy under the rigors of military flight conditions," states Foxlin. "Our approach provides low-latency, 6-DOF tracking of multiple pilots in a fixed or rotary wing cockpit with no sensitivity to metallic or electromagnetic interference," concludes Foxlin.

"This SBIR effort provides an exciting opportunity to develop a small, lightweight head-tracking system," adds Dr. Amy Sue Kransteuber, the contracting technical officer with the Aviation Engineering Directorate. "The system can be used to improve the stabilization of imagery that is captured by the aircraft's sensors and displayed in the cockpit, resulting in better situational awareness. These measurements are also essential to automatically point sensors or weapons to a target as cued by the pilot's vision."

The phase I research will result in a working prototype suitable for subsequent flight testing and product deployment into motion-based flight simulation systems. The technology is also applicable to land-based vehicle cockpit tracking; image guided and augmented surgery; and, augmented reality for manufacturing, industrial training, field repair and maintenance.

"We are very pleased to be working with the Army on this critical piece of avionics technology needed for advanced versions of the Comanche, Joint Strike Fighter and several other DoD manned vehicle programs," said Peter Tarca, InterSense President and CEO. "The future commercialization of this technology is in line with our current business plan and driven by our existing aerospace customers."

InterSense, Inc., founded in 1996, is the market leader in miniaturized, inertial-based, precision motion tracking technology that enables computers to 'see and understand' motion in 3D space. InterSense's motion tracking systems are widely used in several applications, including simulation & training, virtual prototyping and design, medical imaging, entertainment, and video/film production. Privately held, InterSense is headquartered at 1 North Ave., Burlington, MA.

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