Fighter jet training is about to become more immersive, thanks to Barco’s rear-projection 360-degree flight simulation dome. The RP-360 allows the trainee pilot to sit inside a dome, which surrounds the user with a full 360-degree field of view and allows him or her to realistically engage in training missions. The hardware behind this includes up to 14 high-definition projectors with edge blending and warping technology — this allows for undistorted, realistic images despite the sharp curves of the dome. The RP-360 also allows for night simulations (which interact realistically with night vision goggles) and group missions involving multiple trainees through linking several domes.
Barco engineers the first rear-projection 360-degree flight simulation dome
While Barco has created some formidable video hardware, this isn’t the complete system — there’s a lot that goes into a full flight simulator (like motion feedback). We’ll have to wait until 2012 to see how the Israeli Air Force takes advantage of this hardware in a full flight simulator.
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