Anduril Industries, created by Oculus founder Palmer Luckey, has teamed up with Microsoft to improve a mixed reality headset that they intend to use in the US military. As part of the announced joint project, Anduril Lattice software will be integrated into IVAS army tactical AR glasses based on the HoloLens headset, which will allow soldiers to receive online data from drones, ground vehicles and air defense systems.
Image source: Bloomberg/U.S. Army
Anduril’s partnership with Microsoft marks Luckey’s return to the VR headset space after he sold Oculus to Facebook for $2 billion in 2014. Luckey founded Anduril in 2017 with the backing of investor Peter Thiel.
It is expected that the integration of Lattice with IVAS headsets will allow soldiers to be notified of approaching threats detected, for example, by an air defense system located at a considerable distance. “The idea is to improve the soldiers, their visual perception, their auditory perception – in general, to give them what Superman has and then some, and make them more lethal,” Luckey told reporters. .
The original version of the IVAS headset, developed by Microsoft in 2021, was equipped with thermal imaging sensors and night vision sensors, the data from which was displayed on a head-up display. However, during testing of the device, users experienced headaches, nausea and malaise. Microsoft has improved the design of the device and said the IVAS platform will continue to improve in the future with a series of additional tests that will take place in early 2025. The US Army previously announced its intention to spend up to $21.9 billion over 10 years on the IVAS project.