TORRANCE, Calif., 1 Feb. 2012. Physical Optics Corp. (POC), a systems integrator of advanced technology serving military, defense, and homeland security markets, won a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award for the Helmet Embedded Conformal Augmented Display (HECAD) system. The company, with two-year funding from the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA), will continue work on an embedded head-up display to increase the personal situational awareness of emergency responders. The HECAD system features a modular design with miniature commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) micro displays and POC's see-through, low-profile waveguide optics and lightweight, wearable, processing electronics and sensors.

In Phase I, POC provided practical see-through display results, including longwave-infrared (LWIR) sensor data in real time, demonstrating augmented-reality capability, while consuming very low power. POC also developed the appropriate support electronics, software, and end-user-driven symbology, working closely with end users and equipment manufacturers. Other Phase I accomplishments include: the successful design of lightweight and compact mechanical packaging, resulting in the advanced mockup and the first in-mask, active-matrix display with full-motion video.

In Phase II, POC will continue development of HECAD prototypes to enable advanced situational awareness by selectively displaying potentially life-saving information and real-time video from imaging sensors. The real-time data from LWIR cameras and sensors will be shown on a see-through, head-up display that will not occlude the user's visual field-of-view. Testing and evaluating performance in realistic field environments to determine the functionality, cost, and ease of use will also be addressed.