Head-mounted displays were originally known as heads-up displays (HUDs) based on their introduction in the 1950s in the cockpits of fighter jets that used displays projected onto the windscreen at eye level for critical instrument readings (speed, altitude, targeting systems, etc.). Advances in this technology can now provide, among other information, an enhanced infrared camera view of the terrain, allowing pilots to interact with a combination of real and virtual views of the outside world.

The migration from military applications of HUDs to mainstream consumer applications has been realized due to rapidly evolving supporting technologies (e.g., increased computing power, miniaturization of components, advances in information network systems). For example, automobile manufacturers are integrating this technology, providing HUD navigation aids, pictures, symbols, and other applications to the ...