Army Ponders Alternatives to Microsoft's Troubled AR Goggles

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

The Army’s $22 billion Integrated Visual Augmentation System program has struggled, and the service is now open to recompeting the contract should another vendor present a better solution than what Microsoft has developed.

The system, known as IVAS, is an augmented reality headset meant to provide soldiers a single platform on which to fight, rehearse and train, increasing situational awareness and improving decision-making.

The Army in March 2021 awarded Microsoft a 10-year contract worth up to $21.9 billion for IVAS, but the initial version of the system experienced technical difficulties with a number of soldiers experiencing dizziness, headaches or nausea after wearing the goggles.

Microsoft and the Army redesigned the system, and the latest version, known as IVAS 1.2, is currently undergoing operational evaluations, with service officials expressing confidence the updated system will make it to the field.

However, that has not stopped the Army from exploring alternatives.

In December 2023, the service hosted an “Industry Day for IVAS Next,” the invitation to the event stating the Army “would inform interested companies of the IVAS Next requirements and acquisition path.”

Some 80 companies, including Microsoft, attended the event, according to the attendees list.

Doug Bush, assistant secretary for the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, told reporters in September the service hadn’t determined if it would recompete the IVAS contract, but “the potential … for future competition is there, because I think there are so many companies in this space, and there’s so much dynamic tech here, that we certainly need to preserve the option of having a competition in the future if other people come with good solutions.

“The decision hasn’t been made yet to for sure go that route, but we’re setting conditions to where, if we decide to, we can,” he said. “In the meantime, Microsoft is doing a good job with its current contract. The evaluations are going broadly pretty well,” and “we’re still hoping to get there” with IVAS 1.2.

Microsoft is not sitting still as the Army mulls its options. Anduril — which also attended the IVAS Next industry day — announced in September it was collaborating with Microsoft on the program.

Anduril founder Palmer Luckey — who also founded virtual reality headset company Oculus VR — said in a release IVAS is his “top priority.”

“It’s one of the Army’s most critical programs being fielded in the near future, with the goal of getting the right data to the right people at the right time,” Luckey said.

The release stated that Anduril has successfully integrated its AI-enabled Lattice software system “into Microsoft’s IVAS hardware and software platform, enabling soldiers to see real-time threats across the battlespace.”

“Soldiers wearing Lattice-enabled IVAS headsets are rapidly warned of incoming autonomously detected airborne threats, enhancing survivability in complex, contested environments,” the release said.

An Anduril official speaking on background said in an email that having Lattice integrated into IVAS will be particularly useful for countering unmanned aerial systems.

“Our integration of Lattice with counter-UAS detection systems has greatly improved the speed and efficiency of processing data from multiple sources,” the company official said. “Lattice detects and assesses drone threats, sending this information directly to IVAS. Soldiers using IVAS get instant alerts and can track movements in real time, without needing to be involved in the detection process. This speeds up the early warning system, which is critical for improving response times and increasing soldier survival.”

A Microsoft spokesperson speaking on background said in an email the company has had “ongoing conversations” with Anduril about partnering on IVAS and that the partnership is currently limited to the integration of Lattice into the system.

“There was no change to any Army requirements,” the Microsoft spokesperson said. “Partnering with Anduril was a way to demonstrate the extensibility of IVAS in bringing enhanced situational awareness to the warfighter.”

The Army declined to comment on whether the service has received and tested Lattice-enabled IVAS headsets yet.

IVAS Product Manager Lt. Col. Denny Dresch told National Defense in February the Army is gearing up for a company-level operational test with IVAS 1.2 in spring 2025 that will inform the service’s full-rate production decision for the headset. During the September media roundtable, Bush gave no indication that the plan had changed.

The Army still plans to conduct a series of evaluations “between now and … next summer, so I think a decision timeline … is probably next year,” Bush said.

“I think the broad goal of bringing this kind of wearable tech in a military form factor to infantry units to make them more effective is something everyone in the Army, almost everyone, agrees on. How do we get there is the issue,” he said. “Is this exact version of IVAS that version, or do we need another spin of development?” ND

Topics: Army News