[Shockwave]

Anyone else see this or know anything about the company?

http://www.patavio.it/index.php/en/store-en-2/store-en-2.html

 

[roee]

Nice idea, but...

I stopped by their booth and checked out their HUD. Cool idea. But to be frank, I wasn't very impressed with it technically, and I also thought their asking price of $5K was a bit outrageous for what's there. Here are my observations and impressions.

The display component appears to be essentially just a common laser projector (~$300 retail), projecting onto a semi-transparent screen. This arrangement is a true look-through HUD in a very simple sense, but has some significant undesirable characteristics. Among them:

1) The screen appears to be semi-transparent across the entire visible color spectrum. There is no color discrimination for the projected graphics. As a result of this, looking through it you experience significant visible darkening of the background "outside" view.

2) The projected HUD image is in focus in the plane of the semi-transparent screen. It doesn't appear in focus at infinite distance, as I think is the case with most "real" HUDs. That means that with this HUD you can't actually view the projected graphics concurrently as super-imposed on the background outside view. Rather, you have to shift the focus of your eyes between viewing one or the other, either the HUD graphics or the outside view. That defeats much of the purpose of having a HUD.

3) I found at some viewing angles that I would consider quite normal, that you can see the bright spot of the laser projector origin reflected on the semi-transparent screen. Looking directly at a very bright light source like that is distracting at best, and at worst could cause temporary visual impairment (blind spots like after looking at a camera flash) or possibly even permanent eye injury.

So, for me, it's no thanks.

 

[penguin]

The thing that makes military HUDs worthwhile is that they focus the image at infinity, so as you look out the window the ground ahead, and the display, is all in focus. That also makes them expensive and heavy. This device is perhaps better characterised as an EFIS with a display on top of the glare shield? Its up to you to judge whether that is worth $5K to you, for the kind of flying you do.

Pete

 

[Low Pass]

The thing that makes military HUDs worthwhile is that they focus the image at infinity, so as you look out the window the ground ahead, and the display, is all in focus. That also makes them expensive and heavy. This device is perhaps better characterised as an EFIS with a display on top of the glare shield? Its up to you to judge whether that is worth $5K to you, for the kind of flying you do.

Pete

Ditto. Even if I could afford it and it worked in the bright sunlight, my newly acquired presbyopia makes it not much better than using an instrument panel. Awkward to focus and read, but just the kind of neat whiz-bang thing you hope to see in experimental aviation!

 

[panhandler1956]

To expensive

Needs to be closer to $1000 not $6000.

 

[teampatavio]

Hi, I'm Marco, CTO of P.A.T. Avionics.

I am also a home builder and I just completed my Asso. An Italian designed experimental airplane in many ways similar to an RV. A friend of mine flagged this thread forme and I thought to provide some info about our patent pending product.

Our laser projector is not a common laser projector for retail use, it's an OEM laser with ad hoc specs enabling us to use it on aircrafts. Just as an example we spent more than 10 months to resolve issues such as heatsinking, enclosure design and interface development. Our G-HULP is now able to sustain 4 or more hours over 100F? environment temperature and it can easily be interfaced with the most used avioncs systems such as Dynon Skyview.

Screen we use is a special proprietary glass enabling the reflection, like a mirror, of just the laser waves. This glass has 80% transparency and 100% of laser graphics saturation.

Regarding infinity focus, although we have the capabilities we decided not to implement it for these 3 reasons:
1- to use infinity focus, pilot need a special training. Normally a sport pilot can't have this type of training and their CFI?s in general do not have military training.
2- With a traditional instrument panel, pilot is forced to look down for the instrument or to the exact EFIS data point. This type of head movements and scanning can take up to a few seconds, even more with pilots using smartphone and tablet devices. With a ?non-infinite? HUD a change of focus from the pilot's eyes is required, however it occurs naturally in about 200 milliseconds and at the speeds of sport flying nothing really happens in that timeframe. (i.e.experimental aircraft pilots are probably not planning to knock down an enemy ).
3- On top of that, infinity view heads up display systems are less energy efficient, heavier, bulky and in general less visible in bright sunlight than our solution.

If anyone wants to try our product please let me know and we will do our best to make it easier for you.

Hope this helps!

Marco

 

[N8RV]

I used to have a 2001 Corvette that had a HUD and it worked great. I never noticed any issues with not focusing on infinity. I wonder why that same technology can't be transferred to the aviation community? I'm sure that the technology has come a long way since '01.

As much as I would love to have a functional HUD in Smokey, it would definitely have to fit within the structure of my existing one. And, since it would require me to replace my current Dynon D-100 with a Skyview, it would be an expensive and unnecessary expense.

Besides, I see all kinds of imaginary symbology on my current HUD -- including bogeys.

 

[SmilingJack]

There used to be a company that used the "Corvette" HUD and changed the MPH to KTS and also used the oil pressure symbols too.

All in a nice little package that could sit on top of the dash.

But, they stopped selling it

I often thought the same thing though, it seems with all the tech we have someone could build one that is cost effective.

 

[walkman]

I see all kinds of imaginary symbology on my current HUD -- including bogeys.

. This is going in my sig!

 

[plehrke]

This is the way to go. No peice of glass out in front of you. Projects images onto the rotating prop disk. Anybody know anything about this Virtual HUD?

 

[rvmills]

Hi, I'm Marco, CTO of P.A.T. Avionics.

If anyone wants to try our product please let me know and we will do our best to make it easier for you.

Hope this helps!

Marco

Marco,

A few questions, if I may:

Can the display be decluttered...for instance remove the attitude reference and keep the airspeed and engine data, or variations on that idea?

Is AOA displayed?

Is Skyview the only supported EFIS at this time, and are there plans for expansion of the list?

Along those lines, could separate engine parameters be taken from other devices, such as Manifold Pressure, RPM, CHT, EGT, Oil T & P, Fuel Flow, etc.

I have a legacy Dynon with AOA, and would happily volunteer as a U.S. Beta Tester...if you're looking for someone! (I do have military and civilian HUD experience)...

...yes a shameless plug, I know, but I see some pretty neat race, and daily, applications for this!

Besides, I see all kinds of imaginary symbology on my current HUD -- including bogeys.

Uh, yeah Don...I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I didn't see any bogeys through your HUD, but I did notice the trigger seemed to show signs of having been mashed down a lot...a real lot! Chasing little green bogeys, are we?

Cheers,
Bob

 

[teampatavio]

Hi Bob,

is a pleasure answer to you:

Can the display be decluttered...for instance remove the attitude reference and keep the airspeed and engine data, or variations on that idea?
Any graphics displayed on glass can be customized. Now we can customized following your instructions without extra fee in really few days.
We have planned to release at the end of this year a tool for permit to any user to customize your graphics by yourself (without extra fee)
"Can be customized" means:
- You can change, delete or add instrumentations like air data (airspeed, altitute, heading, ecc...) and engine data (like rpm, pres. oil, map, ecc...) For engine data you need to connect G-HULP to an EMS or other avionics.
- You can change dimensions, position, colors used for each instruments displayed
- You can save this "settings" as skin and change skin during your flight. In this way you can have a graphics specific for takeoff and landing, another one specific for crouise and ect....

Is AOA displayed?
If you connect G-HULP to a Dynon Skyview or other avionics that is able to acquire this data, you can display AOA on G-HULP

Is Skyview the only supported EFIS at this time, and are there plans for expansion of the list?
Up to now, Skyview is the only one EFIS supported in production. We are working with other avionics producers for support them products.
I think that will be available more avionics supported at the end of this year.


Along those lines, could separate engine parameters be taken from other devices, such as Manifold Pressure, RPM, CHT, EGT, Oil T & P, Fuel Flow, etc.
May be possibile, now we can acquiring NMEA data but there isn't many engine informations.
We are working for acquiring data directly from CAN Aerospace bus, so we can acquiring engine data directly from engine ECU if equipped with CANAerospace (like Rotax 912ie or ULPower engins and other injection engine)


I have a legacy Dynon with AOA, and would happily volunteer as a U.S. Beta Tester...if you're looking for someone! (I do have military and civilian HUD experience)...

...yes a shameless plug, I know, but I see some pretty neat race, and daily, applications for this!

I don't undestood what type of Dynon do you have? Skyview or Dxxx family?
For U.S. beta tester, what type of VANS do you have?
Where are you based?



Uh, yeah Don...I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I didn't see any bogeys through your HUD, but I did notice the trigger seemed to show signs of having been mashed down a lot...a real lot! Chasing little green bogeys, are we?

Cheers,
Bob[/QUOTE]