Microsoft Combat Goggles Win First US Army Approval for Delivery (bloomberg.com) 31
The US Army is taking delivery of a first batch of high-tech combat goggles made by Microsoft, citing encouraging results from testing in the field. From a report: Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Douglas Bush has "cleared the Army to begin accepting" some of the 5,000 sets of goggles, spokesman Jamal Beck said in a statement. Their delivery had been placed on hold over concern about the device's performance until more rigorous testing took place. Based on the test results so far the service "is adjusting its fielding plan to allow for time to correct deficiencies and also field to units that are focused on training activities," Beck said.
Microsoft's Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS, is expected to provide a "heads-up display" for U.S. ground forces, similar to those for fighter pilots. The system -- a customized version of Microsoft's HoloLens goggles -- would let commanders project information onto a visor in front of a soldier's face and would include features such as night vision. The Army projects spending as much as $21.9 billion over a decade on Microsoft's combat goggles, spare parts and support services if all options are exercised.
Microsoft's Integrated Visual Augmentation System, or IVAS, is expected to provide a "heads-up display" for U.S. ground forces, similar to those for fighter pilots. The system -- a customized version of Microsoft's HoloLens goggles -- would let commanders project information onto a visor in front of a soldier's face and would include features such as night vision. The Army projects spending as much as $21.9 billion over a decade on Microsoft's combat goggles, spare parts and support services if all options are exercised.
at least the SGC is on linux! (Score:2)
at least the SGC is on linux!
Re: (Score:2)
Do I need to explain it or just wait for the experience?
And looking at the photos, the lenses indeed seem to have a blue tint to them.
windows for front line infantry! (Score:1)
windows for front line infantry!
Re: (Score:2)
Windows for Warfighters
Re: (Score:2)
Windows M16
kill the roaches (Score:2)
as featured in Black Mirror s3e5 "Men Against Fire"
Re: (Score:2)
Troubling. (Score:5, Interesting)
I don't have a lot of high hopes for this.
https://www.roadtovr.com/repor... [roadtovr.com]
These devices themselves are completely inferior to currently fielded products in the field.
For those that don't know, the gold, perhaps even platinum, standard for night vision BEGINS with I2 (Image Intensification) Tubes. They available ambient light, the send in some electricity to excite those photons, and then send them into your eye. There's no lag, there're no issues unless it's really dark outside. Thermal can be added as an additional component or as a completely separate device. Look at the Safran Optics E-COTI (Enhanced Clip-On Thermal Imager) or E-COSI (Enhanced Clip On Short Wave Infrared Imager) (the latter adds Long Wave Infrared detection making it possible to see marker lasers and lights that is beyond that of normal night vision capability of I2 tubes.
Any thermal imaging device uses digital signal processing, there's inherent lag in these units because of this requirement. Even with the COTIs, mentioned above, have a slight lag. In a combat environment, lag equals death.
Also in a combat environment, Thermal Imagers are used for detection because it completely obscures bodies and faces into human or animal or military equipment shaped blobs. Imagine a gummy bear type thing shaped like a soldier and that's what thermal gives you.
I2, on the other hand, while monochromatic, will give you, in perfect detail and many times better than what Youtube Videos can show, a completely clear and in high definition what your adversary, your area of operation (AO), and potential hazards look like, with no lag.
What Microsoft is proposing is to Microsoft something that already works well. They're trying to add additional features like Blue Force tracking (which works w/ ATAK with the COTI), Mission Objective monitoring (Available w/ COTI), Text based communication, image and video (targeting information/data) of what you might be looking for if you're in the AO.
However Microsoft never does that sort of thing well. They have the worst product designers, the worst graphic design artists, and the worst bureaucracy within their own company to do any good.
This is going to be a similar debacle to what DCGS-A was in the Army vs Palantir. Trying to "source their own solution" off the backs of existing defense contractors (Raytheon, IBM, Lockheed Martin, McDonnel Douglas, etc.) and just make a steaming pile of garbage. DCGS-A achieved limited capability and was ultimately a failure in theater. Palantir ended up working a lot better and saving taxpayers a lot of money.
I am very worried that Microsoft won't be able to deliver on their operational readiness promises and these AR HoloLens goggles are going to waste American Tax Payers their hard earned money. I hope that isn't the case, but I do not have high hopes.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
You answered your own question: to "waste" billions
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Microsoft is the master of weirdly fucked up interfaces.
Ranging lines (Score:3, Interesting)
There are many options in terms of capability (Score:2)
The idea is hot.
Imagine being able to gesture for a mortar, load, and distance, and have it figure out the angle and direction based upon existing atmospheric conditions, wind, altitude, and recently recorded capability (like if someone else used a mortar, how far did that batch fly) using recorded data from ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance).
You could be dropping literal dimes on your adversary.
If you're a generic asset in field, you could get target package data uploaded to your holo lenses
Ammo Clippy (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Came here for the clippy joke, was not disappointed.
Re: (Score:2)
Are they Made in China? (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Government acquisition under the Berry Amendment prefers domestically manufactured equipment. But also for equipment like this, they would probably only accept defense contractors that can work in cleared environments. Gear like this, their specifications, and manufacturing processes will likely be guarded secrets, so it's unlikely that these are made in China except for rudimentary components like resisters, capacitors, and similar that serve no data processing capability.
Re: (Score:2)
I'm Going To Fdisk Your Face. (Score:2)
Then I am going to defrag your face. This will take approximately 19.63 hours.
Of all the useless fucking wastes (Score:2)
For those of you overseas wondering why we do dumb crap like this, this is how we in America do socialism. You can't get taxpayers to sign off on providing universal education, housing or food but you can always get another line item in the military budget.
Sure most of that money stays up at the top but a bit of a trickles down in the form of jobs. And that seems to be the best we can do. At least for now. In another 10 years when the millennials and Gen Z
Ads (Score:2)
Will it pop up ads for their users like their other paid software does? Click here for a discount on Microsoft Combat Goggles for home use!
hmm (Score:2)
Neato keen (Score:2)
You have to admit, those are some neato anime-looking goggle setups there. They're just missing the hecatonshires style camera/antenna stalks
Re: (Score:2)
Better not be running Windows (Score:2)
If these things are running any operating system produced by Microsoft then somebody needs to go to jail.
Nuke Them From Orbit (Score:2)