The U.S. Army recently awarded Microsoft a huge contract, ultimately worth close to $22 billion over the next decade, for the production of new augmented reality vision systems, according to The Drive (USA) website. These helmet displays feature advanced sensor fusion, similar to the latest generation of night vision and other image-enhancing optical systems. In addition, they can project a variety of data input from various sources, including airborne platforms, providing better situational awareness and other potentially game-changing benefits to field forces.
Photo: A U.S. Army soldier wearing an Integrated Vision Augmentation System (IVAS) helmet during an experiment in 2020
The Army announced a deal to produce the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS, for short) on March 31, 2021.
In a March 31 press release, the Army said, “IVAS aggregates multiple technologies into a single architecture, enabling Soldiers to use a single platform for combat, rehearsal and training.” This set of capabilities leverages existing high-resolution night vision, thermal sensors and Soldier-carried sensors integrated into a unified front-mirror display to provide refined situational awareness, target engagement and the informed decision-making necessary to enable superb countermeasures against current and future adversaries.”
Photo: 2019,U.S. Army Futures Command Chief John Murray Gen. John Murray, head of U.S. Army Futures Command, tries out an early IVAS prototype
Photo: U.S. Army troops conduct cold weather testing involving a version of IVAS CS3 in March 2021
In concept, IVAS is similar to the advanced helmets used by pilots flying the F-35 fighter jet. Providing the individual soldier with a vast array of capabilities and vital data that would be projected onto the helmet’s visor.
IVAS has night vision and thermal imagers that will allow soldiers to see at night or through smoke, dust and other obscurants, just like a more traditional night vision or thermal imager. It will be able to fuse these signals together to maximize the fidelity and other benefits of these different kinds of images in different environments.
The system will automatically discover and tag objects of interest for the user, and IVAS already reportedly has some degree of facial recognition capability, which could help clearly identify specific individuals during a raid. In the future, an AI-driven system that can further help speed up the process of identifying potential threats that may not be immediately apparent, especially in an actual gun battle where the scene can be quite chaotic. This type of functionality is already being integrated into large fire control systems on vehicles, as the video below shows.
IVAS can also import video signals from adapted optics mounted on rifles, carbines, or machine guns, giving soldiers a way to peer around corners or other remote areas without first exposing themselves to enemy fire. Similarly, sensor signals from off-board platforms, including cameras mounted on manned or unmanned aircraft, including small drones that a single soldier can deploy on his or her own, as well as ground vehicles, can be projected directly onto the helmet’s visor.
Army Sgt. 3rd Class Joshua Braly, who participated in tests of IVAS mounted on infantry fighting vehicles and an armored vehicle earlier this year, said that in the past in armored vehicles, “you have very limited awareness of your environment when you’re buckled in behind a platform.
Photo: A soldier wearing an IVAS helmet stands in the compartment of a Stryker armored vehicle during testing in 2021
“It’s really changed the way we operate,” added Army Sgt. Philip Bartel. He was a member of the 1st Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, who also participated in that test.
Now, he said, “people don’t stick their bodies out of their vehicles in dangerous situations when they’re trying to understand what’s going on.”
In this test, the combination of IVAS and vehicle-mounted cameras allowed soldiers in the compartment to “see” what was happening outside through the vehicle’s hull. This is similar to how the Distributed Aperture System (DAS) works on the F-35.
Various branches of the U.S. military, as well as national militaries and private companies, are already exploring how similar technology can be applied to other aircraft, vehicles and even ships.
One of the major additions that IVAS brings to the table is its augmented reality capabilities. This means that additional data can be projected onto the mask, such as map information and waypoints, the location of potential enemy forces or innocent bystanders, etc. IVAS is designed so that the presentation is made directly with relevant objects, such as buildings or other terrain features, rather than simply icons on a flat screen.
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