US ‘ARmy’ Trials Microsoft, Taqtile Immersive Kit

Two major extended reality firms have teamed up with the US military to facilitate remote maintenance

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Published: March 11, 2022

Demond Cureton

Fort Stewart, a military base and census-designated place in Georgia, United States, has deployed augmented reality headsets to its 3rd Infantry Division forces, the US Army announced on Thursday.

Soldiers trialling the new platform have remained at Georgia’s coastal region to gain feedback on early testing and implementation of the devices tasked with helping personnel repair equipment.

The Augmented Reality for Maintenance Training Executive Demo and Information Day event attracted attendees to receive feedback from soldiers on using AR for numerous military functions, and involved partners such as Microsoft, Taqtile, and Georgia Institute of Technology.

Lt Col Michael Hefti
US Army Lt Col Michael Hefti, the chief of plans for the 3rd Infantry Division, prepares for an interview at Fort Stewart, Georgia, March 04, 2022. PHOTO: Sgt Jose Escamilla

Michael Hefti, Lieutenant Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, said,

“How do we gain better efficiencies as we’re repairing vehicles as they become more complex- How can we speed up that maintenance and also reduce costs? Augmented reality allows you to actually see the real piece of equipment you’re working on and it overlays on top of an image to help you fix those things faster”

Ltc Hefti and his staff have referred to the devices as a “game-changer,” and Captain Ben McFarlin, Deputy Innovations Officer, added the head-mounted displays (HMDs) “makes it very easy to understand” AR-powered visuals to guide repairs.

According to McFarlin, the headset was “pretty shocking, but it was actually very easy to operate,” adding that using AR technology could have a “pretty profound, positive impact on the military.”

He performed maintenance on a mortar firing system via the AR device, despite not having a background on the weaponry. A dashboard on the AR display allowed him to access user manuals and instructional videos without experience with such equipment.

McFarlin stated that his division aimed to work with stakeholders to determine which staff could use the devices, and later inform soldiers and greater audiences “about how we’re going to perhaps make a leap with this in the future,” he concluded.

US Army Prototypes
An augmented reality prototype headset is included as part of a display at Fort Stewart, Georgia, during 3rd Infantry Division’s Augmented Reality for Maintenance Training Executive Demo and Information Day, March 04, 2022. The prototypes were brought to Club Stewart to showcase the capabilities of augmented reality and provide a glimpse into the future of U.S. Army training and equipment maintenance troubleshooting and diagnostics. PHOTO: Sgt Jose Escamilla

The news comes months after the US Army awarded Taqtile a deal to integrate its Augmented Reality Maintainer-Operations Relay System (ARMORS) for performing remote maintenance operations.

Microsoft and the US Army are also currently working to perfect their Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) headsets for combat readiness. The Army noted ongoing concerns over moisture control and heads-up display alignment issues, prompting the halt. Despite the setbacks, US Army staff have offered assurances the devices would deploy this year and work with Microsoft developers to resolve the issues.

 

 

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