TARGET DETECTION PERFORMANCE IN HELMET-MOUNTED AND CONVENTIONAL DOME DISPLAYS

An experiment was conducted to assess visual target detection performa nce using a helmet-mounted display (HMD) and a conventional flight sim ulation dome display. Measures of workload and mood were also obtained . Participants in both viewing conditions scanned an area 120 degrees vertical by 240 degrees horizontal while attempting to locate targets that appeared to be approaching them from one of a possible 18 locatio ns. Results indicated significantly superior performance in the conven tional dome display. Workload and mood measures also showed a signific ant advantage for the dome display. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the design and use of HMD systems as components of airborne virtual environment interfaces.