The Microsoft HoloLens could be heading to the battlefield soon. Microsoft has already shown their “mixed reality” headset’s applications in medicine, architecture, space, and now, soldiers in the Ukrainian military may begin wearing the device.
The technology, developed by Ukrainian company Limpid Armor, gives commanders a 360-degree thermal and optical view of a tank or armored vehicle’s surroundings. The headset — called the Circular Review System — is the combination of the HoloLens and a combat helmet that provides the wide angle thanks to camera feeds outside the tank.
Circular Review can also highlight enemies and allies, provide info from commanders, and automatically target enemies in real-time. The helmet could even help mark enemies for drone and air strikes.
It debuted on Oct. 11 at the Arms and Security show held in Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev, MS Power User reported. You can see the specs of the headset from Limpid Armor below.
So far, Limpid Armor has only tested the tech in controlled facilities and the headset hasn’t seen any live combat yet — but the company plans to bring it to widespread use in the Ukrainian military quickly. They also want to create civilian versions of the headset for industrial vehicle drivers, airline pilots, and drone pilots.
Ukraine doesn’t have the only military interested in the HoloLens. According to Bloomberg, the Israeli military purchased two HoloLens headsets back in August. The Israeli Defense Force is experimenting with using the HoloLens to train soldiers and improve strategy, Major Rotem Bashi told Bloomberg.
“The bottom line is that the world is going in this direction,” Bashi said, according to Bloomberg. “We want to understand how to develop for this kind of device and figure out how it can impact us as a military.”
Image Credit: Limpid Armor
