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Anduril Industries Partners with Microsoft for Enhanced Military Headsets

Anduril Industries, a burgeoning player in military technology founded by Palmer Luckey, the original creator of Oculus VR, is collaborating with Microsoft to advance the capabilities of the mixed-reality headsets used by the United States Army. This initiative, as detailed in a recent announcement from Anduril, aims to integrate the company’s innovative Lattice software into the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS). This integration will enable soldiers using these HoloLens-based goggles to receive real-time data from drones, ground vehicles, and aerial defense systems.

The incorporation of Lattice into the IVAS could significantly enhance operational effectiveness, potentially alerting soldiers to incoming threats detected by air defense systems, even when visual contact is not possible. “The idea is to enhance soldiers,” Luckey explained in an interview with Wired. “Their visual perception, audible perception — basically to give them all the vision that Superman has, and then some, and make them more lethal.”

Luckey drew parallels between the IVAS project and the iconic infantry headsets portrayed in Robert Heinlein’s 1950s sci-fi classic, Starship Troopers. He noted to Wired that the headset is “already coming together exactly the way that the sci-fi authors thought that it would,” highlighting the project’s ambitious goal to meld fiction with advanced technology.

The original IVAS headset, developed by Microsoft back in 2021, was equipped with integrated thermal and night-vision sensors presented through a heads-up display. However, early tests revealed several drawbacks, including reports of headaches, nausea, and eyestrain for users. In response to this feedback, Microsoft has refined the design and announced further improvements will be implemented based on additional testing scheduled for early 2025. The U.S. Army has committed to investing up to $21.9 billion over a decade as part of the IVAS project contract, aiming to enhance the overall effectiveness and usability of the system.

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www.theverge.com