Colorado Microdisplay Personal Headset System
CMD's Personal Headset System
Audio headsets have been on the market since the first pair of earphones you had as a teenager. Their styles have ranged from large to small and from comfortable to awkward. A recent development from Colorado Microdisplay is a video headset, the CMDPHS (Personal Headset System). The PHS incorporates a 9 by 12-mm, SVGA microdisplay that when placed in front of the eye produces a clear color image approximately the size of a 15-inch PC monitor. CMD chartered IDE to design and develop a rugged and secure video headset utilizing CMD's latest, state of the art, 800 x 600-optics engine. IDE's design facilitates the PHS's functionality by providing excellent fit and comfort for a wide range of users in the industrial applications sector-it remains stable even with quick, dynamic head movements. For a jet engine mechanic who uses the headset to read intricate wiring schematics, a steadfast, vibration free image is extremely critical. IDE designed the boom (the adjustable arm that holds the optics pod in front of the eye) to have the highest possible degree of steadiness.
IDE's Precise Headset Solutions
IDE's designers have extensive experience developing headsets for companies like Plantronics and ACS, as well as 3D eyewear for market leader StereoGraphics Corporation. As a result, IDE was able to quickly focus on a solution that addressed all pertinent issues. Under an aggressive time schedule, IDE designed the Personal Headset System directly in Rhino 3D NURBS surfacing software and from that database built all working parts for the initial design prototypes. IDE achieved a working model in a week and a half, put it through evaluation, made adjustments, and had a final headset design in two more weeks of development. CMD's R&D group then tested and approved the concept and IDE quickly moved on to the production design, which included manufacturing 15 working units at IDE's prototyping facility. The result is a highly stable design, a vibration free boom that stays in alignment with the eye, and a Personal Headset System that produces beautiful, sharp color images.
The IDE designed Personal Headset System has four self-centering foam pads, two above each ear, that keep the headset stable and comfortable when worn. Each pair of pads are mounted to an articulating wishbone which has self-centering ball joints. The four foam pads are supplemented by an injection molded rubber pad that if desired, can be rested on the top of the head providing additional stability. This central pad is made of a soft elastromer silicon rubber that is compatible with human skin.
IDE's Personal Headset design incorporates a combination of materials including lightweight plastics, stainless steel, and a precision, lightweight, machined aluminum boom. Engineering the articulating joints between the headset's moving parts was challenging. However, IDE achieved a smooth working unit that avoids getting tangled in a person's hair and is stylish and tasteful in its appearance. Once again, IDE's prowess in aesthetic design and practical mechanical engineering has resulted in this progressive, sensible, and attractive new product.
