Patent published on August 10, 2023

Boeing's New Magic Glasses: See and Chat With Your Crew Anywhere around Your Plane

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Boeing, the renowned aviation industry innovator, steps forth with an impressive new wear-and-go technology aiming to revolutionize aircrew communication and safety standards aboard aircraft. The company reveals their latest patent, US20230252730A1, for a high tech headset that employs image-recognizing technology to enhance situational awareness of its wearers on the aircraft.

Imagine a headgear that knows where you are and what surround you by snapping pictures as you go. With a twist, it turns those snap images into a digital map of your current workplace. But, that's not all. If there's a colleague around using the same kind of headset, their location will be marked in your digital picture with a character representation. You can then initiate a conversation just by picking that character out of the picture.

This innovation targets one of the major concerns in aircraft maintenance - the safety of crew members at different points around the plane. By providing a real-time visual picture of where everyone is, it effectively mitigates the risk of accidental hazards. For instance, turning on the engine while someone is conducting maintenance near it, which could otherwise lead to dangerous incidents.

This could also be a game changer when help from a specialist is needed. Instead of waiting for the expert to arrive, with this technology, directions can be followed virtually, speeding up routine checks and tasks.

Figures from the patent filing depict how the headset translates real-world imagery into a 3D or 2D version on the headset's screen, providing guidance cues from colleagues or experts from remote locations. It also illustrates a user interface for directing virtual position indicators and selecting visual representations to be viewed on the display screen.

Boeing's new headset invention could possibly be added to their existing Onboard Performance Tool, an application that assists pilots in their daily work duties.

In conclusion, this is just a patent, and while it hints towards a significant breakthrough in aircraft maintenance and crew safety, there is no definite assurance if and when we'd see this product hit markets. The effectiveness of the technology will only be proven once it is successful in situational implementation. Nonetheless, if realized, this creative solution promises to be a significant advancement in both efficiency and safety for future flight crews.

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