3-D Perspective Displays for Guidance and Traffic Awareness

In August 1999 the Stanford University GPS Lab performed a series of flight tests designed to explore the possibilities of dynamically updating tunnels, enhanced height-above-terrain awareness, and traffic awareness in a 3D perspective tunnel-in-the-sky display. Based on current accident reports from the NTSB specific experiments regarding CFIT (Controlled Flight Into Terrain) accidents and runway incursions were performed. The results are subjective in nature and point out that a properly researched display holds excellent potential for aviation. Future work in several disciplines is necessary before such a display could be utilized in common practice. All the same, a system that mixes precise positioning information from a sensor such as WAAS, attitude information, and eventually the position and intent of other aircraft from a sensor such as ADS-B into an intuitive image has exciting possibilities.