Head-up display in driller and crane cabin

Abstract

This report describes the design and implementation of a prototype head-up display system, eventually to be installed in an NOV operator cabin. A head-up display is any transparent display being able to present information directly in the viewer s field of view. In many applications, this can improve working conditions as operators may have information presented more conveniently than with traditional displays. The report is based on a previous project thesis, which looked into different head-up display technologies, and made a conclusion on which one of them to implement in an NOV operator cabin. Contact was established with a supplier of transparent displays at the end of the preceding project thesis. Their products seemed very promising to be integrated into a head-up display system. Therefore, cooperation was initiated towards delivery of custom made transparent displays in early 2010. Designing the display s driver electronics was decided to be the most important subject of this Master thesis.This project has focused on designing driver electronics capable of controlling the professional transparent display, as well as a relatively transparent LED test display made as an additional part of this project. Development of software has been necessary in order to get the driver electronics to operate correctly. A PC program has also been made to remotely control the display, interfaced by a serial line. Problems occurred at the supplier of the transparent displays, which resulted in no delivery of professional displays. The LED test display has therefore got the important role of showing in practice what may be expected of a professional solution, and to inspire NOV to go further with this project. There is no doubt a transparent display favorably can be introduced to an operator cabin, as it very likely can ease monitoring of important variables.