BAE Systems has unveiled its prototype of a new, lightweight augmented reality (AR) headset that is about the size of a pair of glasses. Aimed primarily at the defense market, the headset has been under development since 2017, when the concept demonstrator had a monochrome display. The finalized prototype is now full-color, more compact, lighter and weight-balanced for greater comfort when worn for long periods of time.
Because the AR glasses are built to military standards, they are designed to operate in hostile environments and to be worn with personal protection equipment. Not only does the headset have a 40° by 30° wide field of view for better situational awareness, but it also has an enhanced display focal length to cut down on eyestrain and supports "see-through" armor systems.
According to BAE, the AR glasses use a brighter display that works in sunlight with vividly colored symbols for accurate targeting with zero latency. They are also highly portable, allowing, for example, a ship's bridge officer to move about the ship, yet still keep an eye on ship operations, and they have an improved head tracking system to ensure that the displayed information maps accurately on the real world.
"We've made significant progress since the conceptual demonstration of the AR glasses," says Nigel Kidd, director of head-mounted displays at BAE Systems. "Our engineers have been working closely with real-world end-users, in both military and commercial domains, to ensure the technology meets and exceeds customer expectations. The final product won’t just be a world-leading display, it will provide its user with peace-of-mind; this is a system that, from concept, is being designed with end-user safety and product reliability at the heart of every decision."
The finalized prototype is regarded by BAE as the last step before the finished product is brought to market.
Source: BAE Systems