The US military and Microsoft recently forged a partnership around the HoloLens mixed reality headset. Unfortunately, the first experiments were not very conclusive.
But according to the first feedback, not everything is necessarily to be thrown away either…
An experience gone wrong
Last August, the US military chose to buy around 5,000 HoloLens headsets from Microsoft. The stated objective of this partnership was to collect information on the ground and in real situations. This program was initially intended to optimize the device for its use in a military context, all with a view to having a tool capable of providing crucial information on a battlefield.
But for the moment, it is clear that not everything is going as planned. Indeed, major failures of the HoloLens have been reported in recent days. We are talking about a too limited field of vision, a consequent bulk for the soldier wearing the helmet, eye fatigue and nausea after less than three hours of use. Which is clearly not ideal in the context of a confrontation…
A funeral already planned?
Thus, it is in an 80-page document that the malfunctions were detailed. In this unclassified report, we also learn that these tests with the HoloLens proved to be a failure in four of the six areas tested in the field. Too many core features have failed, and the soldier acceptance rate remains extremely low. So, should we expect a pure and simple shutdown of the program? No way !
The US military does not intend to give up. During a statement, Brigadier Christopher Schneider acknowledged these issues but said improvements will be made over time. For example, work has already begun on optimizing the brightness of eyeglass sensors, or even on display clarity.
In short, the army simply intends to review its commissioning schedule to have time to erase these technical hitches.
Source : Engadget
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