American Soldiers to Field Microsoft HoloLens-Based Goggles, See Through Objects 1 Apr 2021, 12:00 UTC ·
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For a while now, the American military has been trying to figure out ways for its troops to have an extra edge over enemy forces by providing them with more detailed information of their surroundings. IVAS is how the Army calls the development program, and it just got a major boost at the end of March. 1 photo
IVAS is short for Integrated Visual Augmentation System, and it basically stands for a set of goggles soldiers can pull over their eyes and get instant access to a wealth of data provided by their unit s sensors. For instance, the technology could allow soldiers to see through the vehicle that carries them to the location of their mission, thanks to the sensors feeding data to the goggles from outside of the vehicle.
April 1, 2021 Share
Microsoft won a nearly $22 billion contract to supply U.S. Army combat troops with its augmented reality headsets.
The technology is based on Microsoft’s HoloLens headsets, which were originally intended for the video game and entertainment industries.
Pentagon officials have described the futuristic technology which the Army calls its Integrated Visual Augmentation System as a way of boosting soldiers’ awareness of their surroundings and their ability to spot targets and dangers.
Microsoft’s head-mounted HoloLens displays let people see virtual imagery superimposed over the physical world in front of them anything from holograms in virtual game worlds to repair instructions floating over a broken gadget. Users can control what they see using hand gestures or voice commands.