ODG Smartglasses Become Perfect Wingman in Emergency Landings
Extended reality smartglasses leader ODG (Osterhout Design Group) today announced SAVED™, Powered by ODG, a prototype, first-of-its-kind heads-up display (HUD) oxygen mask that incorporates ODG’s award-winning smartglasses technology to aid pilots in emergency landings if the cockpit fills with smoke.
SAVED™ stands for ‘Smoke Assured Vision Enhanced Display’ and was developed with FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX). ODG intends to market the same technology that built SAVED™ to civil and commercial aircraft manufacturers and military organizations around the world, opening up a market opportunity comprised of 39,000 planes and improving the safety of up to four billion air passengers who fly each year.
According to FAA Service Difficulty Reports, in-flight fires, smoke or fumes are among the most significant causes of unscheduled or emergency landings, accounting for an average of one precautionary landing per day. In-flight smoke is also the number four cause of airplane fatalities and loss of aircraft.
In a situation where the pilot’s view of flight-control instruments, terrain or upcoming runways are obscured, smoke evacuation procedures are often insufficient or take time to deploy. SAVED™ quickly provides emergency backup by connecting the aircraft’s HUD computer and cameras outside the plane and displaying the image using ODG’s proprietary technology. SAVED™ is an easy-to-use, reusable, all-in-one vision and oxygen solution that allows pilots to safely land aircraft in smoke-filled cockpit emergencies.
“While in flight, clear vision is everything, and ODG’s award-winning headworn technology is able to create an aircraft display system that will be a lifesaving tool for FedEx and, ultimately, the entire aviation industry,” said Ralph Osterhout, ODG CEO. “SAVED™ is an excellent example of the power and potential for smartglasses to make real impact to our lives and continues ODG’s unparalleled pace of innovation in the space.”
“FedEx is pleased to work with ODG on this important innovation in pilot safety technology,” said Jim Bowman, Senior Vice President of Flight Operations for FedEx Express. “We look forward to continued development of this product and believe it has the potential to enhance pilot safety in emergency situations.”
FedEx will demonstrate the SAVED™ system at the International Air Transport Association’s Safety and Flight Ops show in Montreal, Canada April 17-19, 2018.
To find out more, stop by the FedEx Express booth, #20.
About ODG
San Francisco based ODG was founded in 1999 as a technology incubator and today is the leader in smartglasses and extended reality technologies, having just launched its 9th generation of smartglasses that deliver amazing augmented reality, mixed reality and virtual reality experiences. Over the last decade ODG has designed a multitude of products, including cellular-based handheld biometric computers, compact, highly portable servers, and miniature UAVs (drones). Our extensive experience and singular focus today on headworn computing and electro-optics technology is unparalleled within the industry and reflected in the largest extended reality smartglasses portfolio worldwide. ODG closed a $58 million Series A funding in November 2016.
