The United States Government is preparing a contract to acquire 100,000 augmented reality viewers annually as part of a program whose investment is estimated at about 500 million dollars
Magic Leap and Microsoft are in a bidding war for a contract with the U.S. army. UU. To develop their respective AR devices for their soldiers. Bloomberg reports that both companies are fighting for the military contract, which could cause the United States to spend more than $ 500 million on more than 100,000 augmented reality viewers. This is part of a program known as HUD 3.0.
According to some sources, Magic Leap is in a more solid position as its technology aligns with the army’s technical requirements, such as waveguide optics, on which it has been working for years.
Microsoft confirmed that it attended a meeting with Army officials about this AR program. Magic Leap has not yet done so, though Bloomberg notes that employees attended a meeting in early August under the tutelage of ML Horizons, a company that shares its address with Magic Leap.
According to the Army’s HUD 3.0 description, the goal is to “increase lethality by increasing the ability to detect, decide, and confront the enemy.” The devices chosen would be used in training to simulate combat scenarios, recording everything that happens to each soldier for further analysis and review.
It is also proposed that end devices be used in real combat situations, displaying digital maps and other information, as well as helping to highlight targets.
The winner is expected to deliver 2,500 viewers during the first two years, and large-scale production is expected to increase thereafter.
