[ti:New Device May Help Jet Pilots]
[ar:Jonathan Evans]
[al:Science In The News]
[by:www.21voa.com]
[00:00.00]While flying high above Earth's surface, 
[00:03.95]jet fighter pilots may suffer loss of eyesight for brief periods. 
[00:09.42]Some pilots may even lose consciousness -- 
[00:13.48]not being able to recognize what is happening around them. 
[00:18.11]These experiences, commonly called blackouts, 
[00:23.05]can lead to tragic results.
[00:25.92]Now, an Israeli company says it has developed a device 
[00:31.18]that could save pilots' lives at such times.
[00:35.12]Yaron Kranz is senior research and development director at Elbit Systems. 
[00:42.19]He is also a retired fighter pilot. 
[00:45.87]He says two different situations can lead to a pilot's loss of consciousness.
[00:52.46]"One is ¡®G-LOC' or G Loss of Consciousness, 
[00:56.64]and the other one is hypoxia, which is lack of oxygen to the brain."
[01:00.88]G-LOC happens when the airplane is making a sharp turn or speeding up very quickly. 
[01:07.79]During these periods, 
[01:09.83]centrifugal force reduces the normal flow of blood to the pilot's brain. 
[01:15.36]At high speeds, loss of control of the aircraft has proved deadly for many pilots.
[01:23.25]Hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, can affect anyone at extreme heights. 
[01:29.58]That is why passenger planes are equipped with oxygen masks. 
[01:34.62]Passengers are always told before flying to put on the masks 
[01:39.66]in case of a sudden loss of air pressure.
[01:42.82]Current devices for preventing such dangerous situations are very large. 
[01:49.34]So Elbit Systems and a small start-up company, called LifeBEAM, 
[01:55.22]developed a system they are calling Canary. 
[01:58.46]It uses small, non-invasive sensing equipment. 
[02:03.28]Yaron Kranz says the sensors are built into the helmet worn by the pilot.
[02:09.41]"The pilot doesn't have to do anything in order to activate those sensors 
[02:14.95]and they are small enough and wise enough to give the information 
[02:18.35]to gather the physiological data that is required."
[02:21.79]By physiological data, he means information related to the processes 
[02:27.73]and activities that keep the person alive. 
[02:31.36]When the danger is real, the system sends a message to the visor on the front of the helmet. 
[02:38.14]If it senses that the pilot has lost consciousness, 
[02:42.18]it tells the plane's computer to activate the autopilot. 
[02:46.97]The autopilot will then take control of the plane's movement until the pilot wakes up.
[02:53.20]Elbit Systems is now developing its Canary device 
[02:57.54]for U.S. F-35 fighter jets and other aircraft.
[03:02.82]I'm Jonathan Evans.
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