What you need to know
- The US military has approved the next stage of development for version 1.2 of Microsoft’s HoloLens militarized headset known as IVAS.
- The entry assessment was carried out by Soldiers from 1st Battalion, Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division.
- The development team is currently exploring ways to make more headphones while maintaining the affordability and quality of the headphones.
- Cloud computing capabilities will be available over the next year.
- If all goes according to plan, the production phase will probably start in 2025.
Things have been especially quiet for Microsoft’s HoloLens mixed reality line, leaving it to speculation whether the company will continue its AR hardware efforts or ditch them entirely. Several reports surfaced online last year that the company had jumped ship, citing that Microsoft had canceled the HoloLens 3.
Earlier this year, the US military said it wouldn’t invest in the technology if the company didn’t ship an updated version of the military-grade headset with sophisticated features. And the fact that Microsoft’s massive layouts impacted the HoloLens division didn’t improve the situation.
But despite these drawbacks, the next stage of military-grade headphones has been approved by the US military for version 1.2 of the device. This comes after thorough examination and evaluation by Soldiers from 1st Battalion, Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Brigade Combat Team and 10th Mountain Division.
Speaking to the Army Times, Brig. General Christopher Schneider, commander of the program’s executive office, revealed that the Army’s assistant secretary for acquisition, logistics and technology has greenlighted the second phase of development of the device.
Work is underway to ensure that the device lives up to the high military standards. The force has been particularly vocal about their needs and wants regarding the headset, including the incorporation of cloud computing, which, in turn, will bring exciting features and improvements to the device.
In the past, the $22 billion project has been negatively impacted by technology issues and a lack of capital, which is why military leaders are up in arms trying to explore new ways to produce thousands of these headphones while maintaining quality and affordability.
Officials have indicated that the production phase could begin as early as 2025. Versions 1.0 and 1.1 of the headphones were developed and purchased by the Army for Doctrinal Command and Training. Also in January the subsidiary approved the development of version 1.2. The feedback the Army receives from implementing versions 1.0 and 1.1 while performing various tasks will dictate the fate of version 1.2 and future iterations.
With the next phase of production approved, the team seeks to strike a balance between establishing an affordable price and ensuring the ability to produce a substantial number of entries. In particular, it is expected to achieve these results within 18 months, hoping to incorporate cloud computing features into the project to improve the user experience.
The new entry will come with many new features and improvements, building on those already available in previous versions. For example, troops will be able to download and access “a range of job assistance apps” from the store, allowing them to be better prepared for any situation that may arise during battle.
Additionally, the apps can be developed and customized to accomplish specific and defined tasks, including assisting in grenadier targeting, building terrain maps, and more. Cloud capabilities are expected to roll out to devices over the next year.
Developers are trying new ways to improve the product’s night vision technology, but have made no progress due to over-reliance on analog methods. Analog methods provide a better view. However, it prevents other salient features that are essential and crucial to the functionality of the headset. The team also highlighted several drawbacks during project development, including wiring and placement.
Analysis: The high cost of HoloLens and AR
At WWDC 2024, Apple introduced Apple Vision Pro VR, an augmented reality headset designed to enhance users’ viewing experience as they watch TV shows, play games, movies and more.
The company has announced that it will start shipping the device in the US in early 2024 for $3,499. The exorbitantly priced headphones received positive and negative feedback in equal measure. But as it turns out, Apple may not be able to deliver on the million Vision Pro shipments it promised by early 2024.
Reports indicate that Apple is making changes to its VR headset production roadmap and is now targeting fewer than 400,000 models in 2024. Sources familiar with the matter indicate that the manufacturing process has turned out to be far more sophisticated and complex than expected. company had expected. originally planned.
Apple is also reportedly working on developing later generations of the unit to provide users with a number of options, including a cheaper option. Of course, the market has changed in the last couple of years. Therefore, it may be difficult to determine the adoption of this new technology before its official release.
A new Microsoft patent for a new HoloLens device recently surfaced online, potentially indicating that the division could be back in full swing after a hiatus. Speculations indicated that the patent may belong to Microsoft’s “cancelled” HoloLens 3. Perhaps this could be Microsoft’s way of returning to the metaverse, regaining its place alongside its competitors, Apple and Meta.
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