News Release from: Mercury Computer Systems
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial Team on 11 November 2005

Flight display system demonstrated at AOPA 2005

Mercury Computer Systems demonstrated the VistaNav multi-function flight display (MFD) system, with synthetic vision technology, at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Expo 2005.

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VistaNav helps pilots to better visualise surrounding terrain while in flight. It uses several sensor data sources and integrates several databases to ensure complete ground-to-air support and 3D full-terrain views in real time. VistaNav-UAV can be combined with the Mercury XB computing platform and customised to build scalable UAV ground stations, using synthetic vision to reconstruct terrain independent of weather.

The VistaNav software can be utilised as a UAV ground station subsystem when combined with Mercury XB computing platforms, or as a powerful, portable navigation system when combined with a mobile computer and a Mercury-developed Inertial Navigation Unit (INU).

'Three-dimensional synthetic vision substantially improves situation awareness and is a key technology for the future of general aviation and unmanned aerial reconnaissance', said Philippe Roy, Director of the Visualisation and Simulation Group at Mercury.

'This exciting new product has resulted from the combination of visualisation software (obtained in Mercury's 2004 acquisition of the TGS Group), with Mercury's in-depth engineering expertise and industry domain knowledge'.

Mercury is also demonstrating the VistaNav-GA system, which includes an INU featuring 3D solid-state inertial sensors, a WAAS-enabled (Wide Area Augmentation System) GPS receiver, and a Bluetooth wireless interface.

The unit can be mounted in a number of places inside an aircraft and communicates through a wireless interface using a tablet PC mobile computing platform (MCP).

The MCP has a high-resolution 5 x 8in LCD display with a full navigation user interface that allows pilots to manage all phases of flight, from preparation to parking.

The entire unit is powered by the aircraft power supply and includes rechargeable batteries that will operate for up to one hour in the event of an aircraft electrical failure.

Both the INU and MCP are designed to be removed or installed in an aircraft in less than three minutes.

Turnkey subsystems are also available through Mercury's professional services.

Mercury is currently accepting orders for VistaNav with expected delivery from two to four weeks from date of order.

Pricing starts at $3749.

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