Abstract: The technology described herein relates to a visual communication system for a helmet mounted visual communication and navigation system. A visual communication system may include a pointing laser on a vision module pointing forward in a direction of a user's point of view (POV), a rear communication light configured to project light in a backward direction from the user's POV, a graphical user interface (GUI) on a heads up display (HUD), and user control buttons configured to control the pointing laser, the rear communication light, and elements of the GUI. Users of such a visual communication system may include emergency response personnel and critical workers, and the GUI may display various vision modes directed to situations that may arise out of an emergency response, military, law enforcement, public safety effort or mission.

Abstract: The technology described herein relates to thermal protection for a helmet mounted visual communication and navigation system. A thermal protection system may include a vision module heat sink configured to store heat dissipated from electronic components of a vision module, a compute module heat sink configured to store heat dissipated from electronic components of a compute module, and a compute module heat spreader near an electronic component of the compute module, wherein both the vision module heat sink and the compute module heat sink comprise a heat sink core at least partially filled with a phase change material. The system also may include a gasket configured to create a seal around an edge of a heat sink shell and a thermal sensor to provide data to be used to determine a remaining thermal reserve. The system also may include a cable housing configured to protect a cable from exterior heat.

Abstract: The technology described herein relates to a vision module for a helmet mounted visual communication and navigation system. A vision module for a helmet mounted visual communication and navigation system may include a sensor directed out of a front portion of a vision module housing, a heads up display (HUD) combiner subassembly including two or more shells, a combiner glass, and a combiner mount frame, a cable connection interface, a laser configured to direct a laser beam out of a laser aperture in the front portion of the vision module housing, and one or more user control buttons. The two or more shells may be treated to minimize fogging and optical distortion for viewing of the combiner glass display. The sensors may include a thermal camera (e.g., a thermal imaging camera), a situational awareness sensor, and a biometric sensor.

Abstract: The technology described herein relates to a balanced helmet mounted visual communication and navigation system. A helmet mounted visual communication and navigation system may include a vision module attachable to, and removable from, a front portion of a helmet by an attachment mechanism, a compute module attachable to, and removable from, a back portion of a helmet by another attachment mechanism, and a cable with an end for connecting to the vision module and another end for connecting to the compute module, the cable having a housing configured to house one or more wires. The vision module may include a sensor, a heads up display (HUD) combiner subassembly, and one or more user control buttons. The compute module may include an internal core subassembly with electronic and computing components for operation of the helmet mounted visual communication and navigation, a heat management element, and a power module.

Abstract: An assisted perception (AP) module comprises an attachment mechanism to attach the AP module to a helmet, and a housing to integrate modular components of the AP module. The housing comprises a front portion and side portion, the front portion located over an eye of the user. The modular components include sensors to collect information about an environment as sensor data, and processors located in the side portion. The processors execute one or more assisted perception engines that process the sensor data from the sensors into enhanced characterization data. Output devices electronically communicate the enhanced characterization data to a user, wherein at least one of the output devices protrudes from the front portion of the housing in front of an eye of the user.

Abstract: A retrofittable mount system for a mask having a mask window comprises a sensor removably mounted to the mask to collect information about an environment as sensor data, wherein the sensor is removably mounted to the mask with a first mount mechanism that does not penetrate the mask window. A processor is coupled to the sensor, wherein the processor executes one or more cognitive enhancement engines to process the sensor data into enhanced characterization data. An output device is removably mounted to the mask with a second mount mechanism without penetrating the mask window. The output device receives the enhanced characterization data from the processor and communicates the enhanced characterization data to a mask wearer, such that the enhanced characterization data is integrated into natural senses of the wearer and optimized for the performance of a specific task of the wearer to reduce the cognitive load of the wearer.

Abstract: Enhancing edges of objects in a thermal image comprises receiving a thermal image and generating a gradient magnitude image comprising a plurality of pixels having associated gradient magnitude values. The gradient magnitude image is partitioned into subregions and gradient magnitude statistics are calculated for each. Mapping parameters are calculated for each of the subregions that equalize and smooth a dynamic range of the corresponding gradient magnitude statistics across the subregions. The mapping parameters calculated for each of the subregions are applied to pixels in the subregions to generate enhanced gradient magnitude values having equalized luminosity and contrast, and a wireframe image is formed therefrom having enhanced edges of objects. The wireframe image is displayed on a display device, wherein the wireframe image appears as a decluttered line drawing where the enhanced edges have increased luminosity and contrast compared to the thermal image to reduce the cognitive load of the user.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that track camera motion from image and sensor data in single-camera, low contrast and high-motion systems. Camera motion is estimated through dense visual tracking using image and sensor data. Motion sensor data from a wearable motion sensor worn by a human is used to determine initial camera motion parameters. Image data from a thermal imaging camera outputting low contrast video frames is used for motion tracking. The camera motion in the frame is represented by a translation and a rotation of the camera through an environment. The frames are down-sampled to generate image pyramid of frames of progressively lower resolution. A hierarchical homography optimizing approach is described. A homography is optimized across each resolution level beginning with the lowest resolution frames. A modified translation and rotation displacement of the camera is determined based on the optimized homography.

Abstract: A platform comprises one or more sensors that collect information about an environment as sensor data. A processor is in communication with the one or more sensors, wherein the processor executes enhancement engines that processes the sensor data into enhanced characterization data having a reduced amount of data compared to the sensor data. An output device electronically communicate the enhanced characterization data to a user, wherein the sensor and the output device comprise an assisted perception module worn by the user during an incident. A command interface device remote from the user to enable a person of authority to manage the incident and the user by receiving and displaying the enhanced characterization data, and by transmitting data and commands back to the assisted perception module.

Abstract: A cognitive load reducing platform comprises one or more sensors that collect information about an environment as sensor data. A processor is in communication with the one or more sensors, wherein the processor executes a cognitive enhancement engines that processes the sensor data into enhanced characterization data having a reduced amount of data compared to the sensor data. An output device electronically communicate the enhanced characterization data to a user such that the enhanced characterization data reduces the cognitive load of the user, wherein the sensor and the output device comprise an assisted perception module worn by the user during an incident. A command interface device remote from the user to enable a person of authority to manage the incident and the user by receiving and displaying the enhanced characterization data, and by transmitting data and commands back to the assisted perception module.

Abstract: Enhancing edges of objects in a thermal image comprises receiving a thermal image and generating a gradient magnitude image comprising a plurality of pixels having associated gradient magnitude values. The gradient magnitude image is partitioned into subregions and gradient magnitude statistics are calculated for each. Mapping parameters are calculated for each of the subregions that equalize and smooth a dynamic range of the corresponding gradient magnitude statistics across the subregions. The mapping parameters calculated for each of the subregions are applied to pixels in the subregions to generate enhanced gradient magnitude values having equalized luminosity and contrast, and a wireframe image is formed therefrom having enhanced edges of objects. The wireframe image is displayed on a display device, wherein the wireframe image appears as a decluttered line drawing where the enhanced edges have increased luminosity and contrast compared to the thermal image to reduce the cognitive load of the user.

Abstract: An assisted perception (AP) module comprises an attachment mechanism to attach the AP module to a helmet, and a housing to integrate modular components of the AP module. The housing comprises a front portion and side portion, the front portion located over an eye of the user. The modular components include sensors to collect information about an environment as sensor data, and processors located in the side portion. The processors execute one or more assisted perception engines that process the sensor data from the sensors into enhanced characterization data. Output devices electronically communicate the enhanced characterization data to a user, wherein at least one of the output devices protrudes from the front portion of the housing in front of an eye of the user.

Abstract: Enhancing edges of objects in a thermal image comprises receiving a thermal image and generating a gradient magnitude image comprising a plurality of pixels having associated gradient magnitude values. The gradient magnitude image is partitioned into subregions and gradient magnitude statistics are calculated for each. Mapping parameters are calculated for each of the subregions that equalize and smooth a dynamic range of the corresponding gradient magnitude statistics across the subregions. The mapping parameters calculated for each of the subregions are applied to pixels in the subregions to generate enhanced gradient magnitude values having equalized luminosity and contrast, and a wireframe image is formed therefrom having enhanced edges of objects. The wireframe image is displayed on a display device, wherein the wireframe image appears as a decluttered line drawing where the enhanced edges have increased luminosity and contrast compared to the thermal image to reduce the cognitive load of the user.

Abstract: A platform comprises one or more sensors that collect information about an environment as sensor data. A processor is in communication with the one or more sensors, wherein the processor executes enhancement engines that processes the sensor data into enhanced characterization data having a reduced amount of data compared to the sensor data. An output device electronically communicate the enhanced characterization data to a user, wherein the sensor and the output device comprise an assisted perception module worn by the user during an incident. A command interface device remote from the user to enable a person of authority to manage the incident and the user by receiving and displaying the enhanced characterization data, and by transmitting data and commands back to the assisted perception module.

Abstract: A cognitive load reducing platform comprises one or more sensors that collect information about an environment as sensor data. A processor is in communication with the one or more sensors, wherein the processor executes a cognitive enhancement engines that processes the sensor data into enhanced characterization data having a reduced amount of data compared to the sensor data. An output device electronically communicate the enhanced characterization data to a user such that the enhanced characterization data reduces the cognitive load of the user, wherein the sensor and the output device comprise an assisted perception module worn by the user during an incident. A command interface device remote from the user to enable a person of authority to manage the incident and the user by receiving and displaying the enhanced characterization data, and by transmitting data and commands back to the assisted perception module.