Microsoft Wins $ 480 Million Military Contract to Bring HoloLens to the Battlefield

Microsoft won a $ 480 million contract for the development of an augmented reality system for combat and military training of the US military.

Called IVAS (Integrated Integrated Visual Augmentation System), formerly Heads Up Display (HUD) 3.0, the project aims to develop a helmet allowing soldiers, both in training and in combat, to increase the " lethality, mobility and situational awareness ". "The ambitions for the project are high, the authorities want to develop a system with a form factor glbades or visor – nothing is mounted on a helmet – with an integrated 3D display, digital cameras, a ballistic laser and a hearing protection.

The system should allow remote viewing of weapon views for rapid acquisition, automated or badisted acquisition, integration of thermal and night vision cameras, monitoring of soldier vital signs such as heart rate and respiratory rate. and the detection of concussions. During the development of IVAS, the Army will command an initial series of 2,550 prototypes, with subsequent production exceeding 100,000 devices.

The army has already used HoloLens for his training. Microsoft's current headset is far from adequate – it's too big and has a poor field of vision, but it's certainly an important precursor technology. A new version of the helmet should be presented next year. It has also been reported that the augmented reality startup, Magic Leap, had also bid, as part of an attempt by the army to expand the range of contractors beyond the military complex. traditional industrial.

The restraint offer was created in a context where employees are more and more willing to express themselves against customers they disapprove. In June of this year, Microsoft staff wrote an open letter urging the company to terminate its contract with ICE because of the widespread revulsion sparked by the ICE family separation policy. Similarly, Google has experienced a considerable internal reaction due to its censored search engine construction project for China and, earlier in the year, a system of recognition of Image for the Ministry of Defense.