Looking good

BAE Systems has begun a two-year project to deliver full hemispherical vision to the commanders and crew of armoured vehicles.

Jim Bob Bryant, tactical decision systems director for BAE Systems at

, said the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) will provide 360-degree situational awareness without the crew having to leave the vehicle or look through a sight to ascertain their environment.

The DAS will be able to function day and night when the vehicle is moving or stationary, combining a field of view from the horizon to directly above the vehicle.

DAS will be developed and demonstrated for the US Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command's Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate. 'That will be accomplished by mounting cameras around the vehicle; providing full hemispherical views,' said Bryant. 'Then we'll use a video processor to "dewarp" images and stick them together seamlessly to give a virtual hemispherical view in near real time.