Thales unveils new eyes out solutions for civil helicopters

On the opening day of the Heliexpo 2017 exhibition, Thales has unveiled the first ever eyes out solution for civil helicopters. Inspired by the TopMax visor for civil fixed wing pilots unveiled in 2015, and using technology leveraging Thales’s decades long experience in the military Helmet Mounted Sight Display (HMSD) market, this eyes out system has been specifically designed for  civil Helicopter pilots. Its architecture is tailored to maximize efficiency in stressful situations, particularly during complex missions such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Search and Rescue (SAR).
 

Key Points

• Thales unveils first eyes out system for civil pilots.
• Specifically tailored to civil helicopters, the system allows pilots operators and mission controllers to seamlessly share mission critical data

Drawing on the established know-how and proven military solutions that Thales has gained from TopOwl and Scorpion, this eyes-out system is a full-color head-up civil helicopter solution that is compatible with all types of helmets and head-worn equipment. It provides a multiplier effect to achieve success on the most difficult missions, whether by day or night (NVG flight included). Using high accuracy hybrid inertial/optical position tracking technology that enables passive integration in cockpits, the system delivers conformal symbology that can be adapted to any kind of mission.
 

“Eyes out systems are the future of rotorcraft. Thales has been developing these vital products for the military market for decades and as the technology matures it is a natural evolution for us to devise ways to render these offerable to the civil market. This eyes out solution for civil helicopters is the latest evolution of a trend started by Thales in 2015 with the unveiling of the TopMax for civil aircraft and the initial test and returns from test pilots convince us these types of systems are set to become a mainstay of the industry ” Christian Bardot, Thales Vice President, Helicopter Avionics

Thales eyes-out solution enables pilots performing complex missions as EMS and SAR, even in harsh or low visibility environments to identify their targets, and direct rescue operations more efficiently.

It allows pilots to keep their focus on their surroundings during critical parts of a mission without having to look down at the instrument panel and risk losing concentration and situation awareness at a crucial moment. The eyes out visor has a measurable effect on safety and security.

Thales eyes-out system is the first-ever full-color helmet mounted day/night (NVG compatible) solution, offering simple and lightweight integration on all types of helicopter and market-leading response in terms of cost-to-efficiency ratio.