"20/20 Acuity Display Systems, When Will They Be Practical?"
Frank Timmermans, Barco

Visual Systems for simulation and training include an image generator, a database and a display system. All three are important and work together to present realistic imagery and immerse the user in the virtual world. Fast-jet simulators prefer large fields of view, with imagery covering up to 70 percent of a dome display system. To achieve 20/20 acuity in such a display requires over 250 million display pixels. This large number of pixels puts a strain on both the image generator and the display system.

Because of the cost and complexity of providing 20/20 acuity in a visual system these types of systems are still rare in the industry, even when the training value justifies such a system. When will 20/20 acuity become practical? When and how will technology advance to enable the common use of 20/20 acuity in displays? This will be discussed in this presentation.

The need for 20/20 acuity in visual systems is evidenced by many industry proposals requesting this. It is a common requirement in military requests for visual systems. In most cases a compromise is reached and a 20/40 acuity or less system is provided. When 20/20 acuity becomes practical, certainly the industry is ready to embrace it as it brings visual simulation closer to the real world.