You would think by now technological advancements would have helped tone down the appearance of night vision goggles but from the looks of it, that is not the case. SA Photonics have developed the High Resolution Night Vision System (HRNVS), a wide field of view digital night vision head mounted display for use by commercial and military pilots of fixed-wing airplanes and rotorcraft. And while it doesn’t really make anyone look too cool, at least there is visible carbon fiber to score a few points.

While the look of night vision goggles has barely made any headway, the performance improvements are there. Surveys taken from U.S. Air Force pilots reveal that the most frequent complaint is for a larger field of view. SA Photonics, being a pioneer in optic solutions for the military, used their expertise to bring about some serious advantages from the HRNVS.

“At SA Photonics, we are serious about improving pilot safety while increasing performance in both commercial and military cockpits,” said Dr. Michael Browne, SA Photonics’ Vice President of Product Development. “HRNVS advances the state of the art of night vision goggles and head mounted displays and will provide a significant improvement in nighttime situational awareness.”

The field of view is now over 82.5 degrees, along with reduced peripheral obscuration and the capability for digital image enhancement, recording night vision imagery and overlaying symbology. The HRNVS is also lightweight because of the use of carbon fiber, which is obviously a benefit for anyone who has to wear this for extended periods of time.

The HRNVS system was introduced last year in April at the 2011 SPIE Defense, Security and Sensing Symposium in Orlando.

[Sources: Engadget, SA Photonics]