Feature

Heads Up Displays let you see down while looking up

Janet Shields

A Heads-Up Display is one example of an optical device that does pretty interesting things in rather clever ways, yet is based on principles that a kid can understand. A Heads-Up Display (HUD) is essentially a system for displaying information such as aircraft speed to a pilot so that he can see it even when he's looking out the aircraft. If you're working with a youngster, you might let him or her sit in a car and notice that there are a lot of things on the dashboard, such as the speedometer, that a driver must look down to see. This means looking away from the traffic. The HUD allows the pilot to see his speed, altitude, and so on, even as he looks out the windshield.