Soldiers operate in high-stress environments and are constantly threatened with encounters that could be the difference between life and death if met with inadequate responses. In the chaos of the battlefield, soldiers are required to coordinate, strike strategically, and communicate effectively without losing focus.
However, the chaotic nature often leads to short communication delays putting active-duty squads and platoons at a significant disadvantage. One of the main issues that arises as a result is the inability of soldiers to coordinate and identify hazards on the battlefield.
In the mode of urban warfare, soldiers encounter armed enemies, bombs, booby traps, and other dangers in fairly complex buildings and structures, largely uncharted. Precisely locating each and every one of these dangers not only ensures survivability but also directly influences mission success.
The use of an Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) and associated technology enhances the situational awareness of an individual combatant. It identifies, tags, and most importantly, relays information from one soldier's digital headset to other soldiers' AR headsets via radio channels.
However, its efficiency is bolstered with TPMI's US Patent 10,973,485 technology. For instance, if a soldier has a near miss with a booby trap or a close encounter with an unstable IED or bomb while clearing a building, the IVAS system will automatically image the booby traps or IEDs. The self-imaging capability or “real-time 3D hazard tracking” will ensure all soldiers’ AR headsets notify them of the identified hazard.
This is crucial in combat scenarios when soldiers have to move quickly and tactically to ensure mission success. The off-site imaging experts will use the relayed information from the headset of the first soldier and classify the object or individual as a hazard, making sure all soldiers are aware of the possible danger.
Firstly, this ensures higher survivability for the soldiers. Secondly, with the precise whereabouts of different sorts of hazards on the battlefield, soldiers can plan offensive or defensive maneuvers more strategically with higher chances of a successful outcome.
Another pseudo-scenario to analyze the significance of the ‘485 patented technology for IVAS improvement by TPMI would be locating enemies in an uncharted building. In conjunction with the pseudo-GPS system enabling real-time positioning information sharing among soldiers, the ‘485 technology will automatically relay information about an enemy’s movement to the off-site image assessment and command post.
The off-site experts will rapidly analyze and relay the data back to make sure all soldiers are aware of enemy movement, despite the absence of a common line of sight. While clearing a building, a soldier will have more than just "enemy on the move" signals.
They will be made aware of the speed, direction, orientation, and precise location of enemies within a mapped structure or geographical space. In turn, this will enhance the coordinate strike precision, leading to invaluable mission success.
Dr. Robert Douglas, a Vietnam war veteran who is spearheading cutting-edge upgrades for the IVAS technology deployed by the US military, aims to work with PEO Soldier for the integration and fielding of this novel technology.