By Gemma Simpson, 31 October 2006 12:55
Chocks away: A safer way to navigate the skies was unveiled by US industrial giant, Honeywell, as it whisked silicon.com off in a private jet to preview the system.
The safety system uses a terrain database, high-resolution display and Global Positioning System (GPS) to create a 3D model of what the pilot would be able to see out of the window in clear conditions.
The safety system, designed to help pilots when visibility is low, gives a 3D colour representation of the outside world. If the plane gets too close to the ground or other obstacles, or the system picks up any other imminent disasters, the screen goes red.
The screen to the left of the shot shows the new safety system with the existing 2D system alongside it to the right. The new 3D system is not designed to replace the black screen but assist pilots when flying in zero visibility conditions.
Upcoming features include the ability to display other nearby aircrafts on the screen to prevent mid-air collisions - but that will have to wait on a mandate from the aviation industry to install GPS on every plane.
Photo credit: Steve Ranger
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