Elbit Systems has unveiled a new system that will monitor a pilot’s body condition in extreme phases of flight.
Dubbed Canary, the system is an integrated physiological monitoring device for pilots, providing real-time alerts in the event of life-threatening in-flight situations.
Yaron Kranz, senior director business development and R&D at the Israeli company’s Helmet Mounted Systems division, tells Flight Daily News that in extreme cases, such as hypoxia or gravity-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC), a warning will appear, either as an audio-visual alert on the pilot’s helmet mounted display (HMD) or via the aircraft mission computer using the HMD interfaces.
“The alert will allow the pilot to react before losing conscious or, in case the pilot is unable to operate the aircraft, recovery of the pilot and the aircraft by engaging the autopilot,” says Kranz.
The new system, based on sensors developed by Israeli start-up LifeBEAM with support from the Israeli Ministry of Defence (IMOD), will be integrated into Elbit’s HMD systems and does not require any pilot interference or action.
Kranz says the system is connected to the mission computer of the aircraft so that when it senses G-LOC it can order the jet to keep a straight level flight until the pilot recovers.
The system, he adds, has been tested in an Israeli air force centrifuge and in real flights, and has proven its capability.
Source: Flight Daily News
