Video Helmet Design Considerations

1. The operator should have peripheral binocular vision below the viewing image to safely maneuver.

2. The helmet should be as light as possible and fitted firmly to the head. The weight of the monitor should be balanced if possible. This could be batteries.

3. The image should appear at or near infinity to allow the operator to shift attention from the world around him to the image in the monitor without eye accommodation. A shift upward to the viewfinder image is OK.

4. The monitor should be viewable in any light.

5. The monitor should be as compact as possible.

Problems with helmet finders: looking at two different images at the same time confuses most people. Some get sick immediately. A good way to avoid this is to practice operating with both eyes open and shifting your attention to one eye to the other. While shooting with a regular camera one can watch for things happening out of the frame of the viewfinder. It takes practice, but it is a very valuable skill. Using the helmet finder then becomes easy.

© Copyright 1999-2004 Ron Dexter. All Rights Reserved.