Arguably the most important and ambitious augmented reality (AR) program at the U.S. Department of Defense just took a significant step forward.
No sooner did the U.S. Army issue a January Request for Information for what it calls IVAS Next than we began to see what the Army’s $22 billion Integrated Visual Augmentation System program might soon become. In February, Microsoft, which had been tasked with early development of IVAS, an AR solution to be worn by warfighters, announced it would turn over the project’s reins to Anduril, a company founded by the inventor of Oculus Rift (now part of Meta), Palmer Luckey.
The two companies had been collaborating before the announcement, including bringing Anduril’s Lattice AI-powered command and control (C2) system into IVAS. But now Anduril will take the lead, and that’s significant. While its founder’s roots may be in hardware, Anduril and others are born in software, specifically data, analytics, and artificial intelligence. — This matrix of data requires rethinking hardware development to enable rapid data consumption on the battlefield.
You may recall, the remarkable Oculus Rift was a groundbreaking headset that helped put virtual reality on the map. And it launched around the same time Microsoft introduced its HoloLens platform, a different kind of headset designed for mixed reality applications — and the basis for the early IVAS designs.
So while IVAS has gone through several iterations to date, the program is in good hands. In fact, the Army is more committed than ever to augmented reality. Even before IVAS Next, the service requested 2025 funds to purchase 3,162 IVAS heads-up-display systems.
The Army isn’t the only one going all-in on AR. In fact, the Air Force has been using AR for many years. One of the success stories of implementing AR for pilots is using Lumus optical engines for more than 15 years in the form of Thales Avionics’ Scorpion Helmet Mounted Cueing System.
What aspects of the Air Force’s AR system are applicable to IVAS Next and similar AR programs? For one, the precision optics.
Next-Gen Visualization for Next-Gen Situational Awareness
The passing of the IVAS torch to Anduril is exciting for the Army. Companies like Anduril and data analytics firm Palantir have ushered in a new breed of Defense contractor, capable of delivering artificial intelligence and advanced situational intelligence directly to warfighters via AR headsets and other platforms.
“We’re building a totally new system on the hardware side,” Palmer Luckey said recently of IVAS Next on the Shawn Ryan Show podcast. “It is going to be by far the best AR, VR, MR vision augmentation system that has ever been built in terms of resolution, in terms of field of view, in terms of graphical fidelity.”
He acknowledges what’s been widely reported: that early IVAS headsets received mixed reviews from the warfighters they’re meant to help. But Luckey also sees a time — in the near future — when next-generation IVAS headsets will be ubiquitous. Part of that certainty is based on an intimate understanding of the rich data and situational awareness that today’s Defense contractors can deliver, and how to deliver it.
When Palantir, a partner of Anduril, delivered its first two Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Nodes (TITAN) to the Army, it marked the first time a software company was the prime for a major hardware platform. Palantir’s CTO was quoted saying it was “a signal of how serious the department is about doing these things differently.” (Along with Anduril, traditional firms L3Harris Technologies and Northrop Grumman are also on the TITAN team.)
There are, of course, many ways IVAS will be different from other procurements, now that it’s in the capable hands of Anduril, along with Microsoft and partners. Defense contractors born in data know that getting that data in front of the warfighter takes new, better visualization technology. And as the Air Force has already recognized, the optics that go into AR headsets represent a key way of realizing the full potential of such a platform.
Proven Optics for Military Platforms
What the Air Force has come to trust in its Thales Scorpion HMCS is its ability to display precise information in the most challenging conditions. This is thanks to Lumus optics.
Those who know Lumus know that Lumus-powered, near-to-eye AR displays incorporate reflective (geometric) waveguides. (Here’s how reflective waveguides work.)
Reflective waveguides are ideal in applications like IVAS because the technology can create brighter, true-color images that can be seen clearly under any light conditions. They don’t leak light, which could give away a soldier’s position, but rather direct more light (and situational awareness data) to the wearer’s eye. They support a wider field of vision than other solutions and can be designed into lighter, longer-running form factors because of their inherent energy efficiency.
In short, reflective waveguide optics represent a new way for soldiers to visualize data — one that Air Force pilots can already appreciate. And with more and better data being delivered to warfighters by next-generation platforms, the visualization systems must keep pace.
For more information about Lumus near-to-eye display technology for military and defense applications, please contact [email protected].