Sep 30 2008
BAE Systems has developed and delivered to the U.S. Army a new helmet-mounted night-vision goggle system that combines visible, low-light, and infrared imagery for all-weather use in darkness and in other visibility-limiting conditions.
Developed through the Army’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier Enhanced Night Vision Goggle advanced technology development program, BAE Systems’ digitally fused enhanced night vision goggle, or ENVG(D), will allow soldiers to view, via a monocular eyepiece, imagery that exploits features from visible, low-light-level, and infrared sensors. The digitized data can then be shared across the battlefield, enabling the Army’s vision for the “digital battlefield.”
“The design and delivery of this prototype is a milestone in the Army’s roadmap toward a digitally fused night vision goggle capability,” said Rajani Cuddapah, ENVG(D) program manager for BAE Systems in Lexington, Massachusetts. “It substantially improves situational awareness for our men and women in combat, which means increased mission effectiveness — and, more important, increased survivability.”
Using BAE Systems’ MicroIR™ sensor technology, the ENVG(D) prototype provides several modes of fusion for varied application needs, such as visible-only imagery, IR-only imagery, monochrome fusion, or colorized fusion with a user-selectable color palette. The system includes a goggle, helmet mount, battery pack assembly, and related cabling.
As part of the Army’s ongoing effort to develop a next-generation, digitally fused night-vision capability, the ENVG(D) prototype system is being evaluated to compare its mission utility with existing night-vision goggles.