Microsoft’s HoloLens augmented reality headsets are currently being shipped to the US Army after the company signed a $22 billion deal back in 2021. The headsets are intended to “increase lethality” of combat missions, prompting huge protests from Microsoft employees.
As reported by Bloomberg, Microsoft has finally commenced the delivery of the headsets to the armed forces in the country. An initial 5,000 were ordered last year. The Army intends to spend $21.9 billion over the next decade, after initial testing on the original 5,000 unit order is completed.
The headset will give ground forces a “heads-up display,” similar to those utilised by fighter pilots. Bloomberg reports that commanders can project information onto a visor in front of a soldier's face. This is known as IVAS, the Integrated Audio Visual System. The HoloLens also includes features such as night vision.
As reported by PC Gamer, the HoloLens will be able to assist soldiers in identifying structures, providing distances, and highlighting moving objects in addition to the advantages mentioned above.
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It’s a deal that’s proved unpopular with Microsoft employees who previously wrote an open letter saying (via PC Gamer), “We refuse to create technology for warfare and oppression,” but Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella has defended the project, noting that “We made a principled decision that we're not going to withhold technology from institutions that we have elected in democracies to protect the freedoms we enjoy.”
