Microsoft HoloLens for the US Army: what kind of augmented reality glasses are soldiers afraid of

A leak to the press has revealed that US Army soldiers are afraid to use Microsoft HoloLens on the battlefield. because in some cases they can cause dizziness and retching.

In accordance with Insider and Bloombergwho had access to the reports, the soldiers also suffered from migraines, visual fatigue, and what they identified as “physical disabilities” that could affect the mission.

The report states that approximately 80% of soldiers developed any symptoms after wearing lenses for less than three hours.. Faced with this situation, some soldiers expressed their fear that they would have to use this type of technology on the ground in an actual mission.

Some even went so far as to say that if they had to use them, it was very likely that the enemy could kill them. This information is alarming given that The Army signed a $22 billion contract with Microsoft to use this type of device..

Added to this is the fact that the bright lights of the lenses are visible hundreds of meters away, which would allow the enemy not only to detect the soldiers, but also to pinpoint their location, making them an easy target. For all these reasons, Microsoft’s augmented reality glasses didn’t sit well with the soldiers.

Microsoft indicated that upon becoming aware of these failures, they took the necessary steps to modify the lenses and thus resolve the issue..

“Our close collaboration with the military has enabled us to rapidly build and implement the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) to develop a transformative platform that will bring greater safety and efficiency to soldiers,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.

Microsoft also said that it is already moving forward with the production of the first batch of HoloLens for the military.which suggests that the agreement remains in place despite the abandonment of the soldiers who will eventually use them when they are deployed.

The agreement between the army and Microsoft provides for the supply of a total of 120,000 HoloLens over 10 years.. Recall that this device was developed specifically for the US Army and should provide soldiers with a digital map, compass, thermal imager and tools to improve aiming.

An audit earlier this year by the Inspector General of the Department of Defense noted that the contract could result in the army eventually “wasting taxpayers’ money.”.

Reports published Insider and Bloomberg They also revealed that this situation is known to Microsoft, so they are aware of the possibility that the army decides to terminate the contract due to the bad impression the devices made.