RESEARCH PAPER
Experimental vibration analysis of pilot night vision goggles in the context of exploitation in helicopters.
1
Department of Automotive Engineering, Mechatronics and Mechanics, Faculty of Automotive and Construction Machinery Engineering
Warsaw University of Techonology, Poland
2
Department of Teaching Methods and Techniques, Faculty of Mathematics and Information Technology, Lublin University of Technology;, Poland
3
PCO S.A., Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (Polish Armaments Group), Warsaw;, Poland
4
The Institute of Micromechanics and Photonics, Faculty of Mechatronics, Warsaw University of Technology;, Poland
5
Material Engineering Laboratory, The Military Institute of Armoured and Automotive Technology, Sulejówek n. Warsaw, Poland
Submission date: 2025-12-09
Final revision date: 2026-01-29
Acceptance date: 2026-03-04
Online publication date: 2026-03-23
Corresponding author
Radosław Nowak
Department of Automotive Engineering, Mechatronics and Mechanics, Faculty of Automotive and Construction Machinery Engineering Warsaw University of Techonology, Narbutta 84, 02-524, Warsaw, Poland
Department of Automotive Engineering, Mechatronics and Mechanics, Faculty of Automotive and Construction Machinery Engineering Warsaw University of Techonology, Narbutta 84, 02-524, Warsaw, Poland
KEYWORDS
modal analysisvibration testinghelicopter vibrationspilot gogglesnight vision systemsaerospace ergonomics
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Helicopter pilots operate in a vibratory environment that substantially exceeds that of fixed-wing aircraft, creating stringent demands for the durability and dynamic stability of head-supported equipment. This study presents an experimental investigation of the vibration behaviour of prototype helicopter pilot goggles tested on an electrodynamic exciter over a frequency range exceeding applicable defence standards. The aim was to verify assembly integrity, assess the short-term strength of load-bearing components, identify natural frequencies of the goggle system, and generate reference data for future finite-element model. Acceleration and displacement responses were recorded using accelerometers and processed through custom software to obtain amplitude–frequency characteristics. The results indicate significant amplification of vibration in selected structural regions, eg. 50–250 Hz and 450–500 Hz, corresponding to natural modes of both the holder and the goggles. These findings confirm the sensitivity of the system to vibratory inputs comparable to those in helicopter cockpits
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