[LAUREN TAYLOR]
FOR THE BETTER PART OF A DECADE – THE US ARMY HAS BEEN WORKING ON PREPARING THE SOLDIERS OF TOMORROW.
THAT EFFORT GOT A BOOST THIS WEEK – AS THE FOUNDER OF ANDURIL INDUSTRIES ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH MICROSOFT TO DEVELOP AUGMENTED REALITY GEAR FOR THE ARMED SERVICES.
INSPIRED BY THE FUTURISTIC VISIONS OF ‘STARSHIP TROOPERS’ – ANDURIL IS LOOKING TO DEVELOP CUTTING-EDGE TECH TO THE TUNE OF A NEARLY 22-BILLION-DOLLAR INVESTMENT.
THE COLLABORATION FOCUSES ON INCORPORATING ANDURIL’S LATTICE PLATFORM INTO AN AUGMENTED REALITY HEADSET , WHICH WILL EQUIP SOLDIERS WITH CRUCIAL LIVE BATTLEFIELD DATA SOURCED FROM DRONES, GROUND VEHICLES, AND AIR DEFENSE SYSTEMS.
THE FOUNDER OF ANDURIL, PALMER LUCKEY, SOLD THE OCULUS HEADSET TO META FOR 2-BILLION-DOLLARS.
AND SINCE PIVOTED TO DEVELOPING A-R TECH FOR THE BATTLEFIELD.
LUCKEY AIMS TO EQUIP SOLDIERS WITH SUPERHUMAN SENSORY PERCEPTIONS THAT CAN DETECT THREATS BEYOND TYPICAL AUDITORY AND VISUAL RANGES, MAKING THEM MORE EFFECTIVE AND SAFER IN COMBAT.
ANDURIL’S SYSTEM WAS INITIALLY DEVELOPED IN 2021, AND COMBINED THERMAL AND NIGHT VISION CAPABILITIES, HOWEVER MANY USERS COMPLAINED ABOUT HEADACHES AND EYESTRAIN DURING TESTING.
THE U-S ARMY PLANS TO INVEST UP TO $21.9 BILLION OVER THE NEXT DECADE, BETTING BIG ON THIS TECHNOLOGY TO MAINTAIN A CRITICAL EDGE IN FUTURE CONFLICTS.
THIS PROJECT NOT ONLY REPRESENTS A MAJOR LEAP FORWARD IN MILITARY TECHNOLOGY BUT ALSO SHOWS THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF HARNESSING THE FULL POTENTIAL OF AUGMENTED REALITIES ON a changing BATTLEFIELD.
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