NASA officials in Washington have announced that they are researching and testing a project aimed at enhancing flight safety: equipping pilots with electronic devices that improve their visibility of the surrounding environment.
Technical experts at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have outfitted a Boeing 757 with advanced imaging display equipment and radio equipment that allows pilots to observe the external surroundings, weather conditions, and time of day. This system has been tested in Virginia.
NASA stated that the comprehensive observation system, combined with satellite signals from the Global Positioning System (GPS) along with real-time image databases on the device, will provide a panoramic view of the terrain and landmarks for the crew.
“We have added new software to the existing weather radar found on many large commercial aircraft to provide more detailed imagery than currently available,” said Steve Harrah, the head of sensors for the integrated observation system.
During the tests, pilots flew the Boeing 757 equipped with this system while the cockpit windows were sealed, forcing them to assess the situation based on the integrated observation system and the advanced imaging display equipment.
T.VY (According to Physorg, UPI)