Head-Mounted Display Systems For Dismounted Soldiers

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FEATURES, United States
Date Posted: 17-Mar-2015

Jane's Defence Weekly
HUDs for the grunts: head-mounted

display systems for dismounted soldiers
Following the development of a digitised, helmet-mounted display system for the F-35
Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter, such technology is being applied for dismounted
soldiers, spearheaded by the US Army, reports Andrew White
Andrew White
London
On 15 January commercial technology development leader and Silicon Valley giant Google
announced it would stop producing 'Google Glass' prototypes. However, the company insisted it
would remain committed to future development of the technology through its 'Project Glass'
experimentation phase.
Although Google was unable to comment on the technology's potential military applications, its
relevance was obvious from its launch in 2013, when skydivers at an event used Google Glass
head-mounted displays (HMDs) to navigate to a drop zone.
Military experts have since considered incorporating into an HMD capabilities traditionally
restricted to handheld and vehicle-mounted GPS and other C4ISTAR systems.
However, the cessation of Google Glass manufacturing has left some industry observers
concerned about HMD technology's future. "Google remains at the forefront of development of
unmanned systems because they see a future in this market," one industry source told IHS Jane's
. "So what does this tell the market when they are seen to be retracting themselves from Google
Glass?"
Google Glass was launched as an optical wearable computer that enabled users to view
smartphone information in a hands-free format. An operator could use the same applications - or
'apps' - for navigation, messaging, still imagery, and full-motion video as well as communications
and internet downloads.
Available in 2013 as a prototype for USD1,500 per unit, then to the general public the following
year, the platform responds to voice commands as well as a finger controller or mouse.
The system was so popular within the US Department of Defense (DoD) that US Navy Admiral
Harry Harris wore the glasses at the AFCEA Western Conference and Exposition (WEST) in San
Diego in 2014 to announce how the navy could someday use the technology.
"We've got a big shopping list," he said, using Google Glass as a teleprompter. "We need
platforms, we need weapon systems, cyber tools, handheld devices and, yes, even cool wearable
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optical devices like the one I'm wearing. If it makes us better warfighters, we're interested.
"Interested but sceptical, because not only do we need technology that allows us to do our jobs
better, we need technology that is resilient and reliable whether we're ashore or at sea, and it's
got to be secure, and it's got to be affordable. Wearable computers like the one I'm wearing today
may only meet one or two of those requirements today, but it's got to meet them all tomorrow."
SOF applications
Despite recent bumps in the development of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter's Helmet Mounted
Display System (HMDS) by Rockwell Collins and Elbit Systems, the HMD market remains strong in
the airborne community and the field is also making interesting progress in the special operations
forces (SOF) domain and other specialised military roles.
One company evolving an HMD solution for the SOF community as well as the US Army is San
Francisco-based Osterhout Design Group (ODG). In recent years the company's X-5 and X-6
Glasses solutions have been worn during the US Army's Network Integration Evaluation (NIE)
exercises, which aim to integrate network, non-network, and other developmental and emerging
capabilities to provide the army with doctrine, organisation, training, materiel, leadership, and
education. In these events the army has used X-6 Glass systems to receive live full-motion video
feeds from Gray Eagle unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
The ODG family's latest HMD development models include the R-6S Glasses, which are to be made
available in 2015 for USD5,000 per unit. The 'augmented reality' glasses include a Bluetooth 4.0
802.11ac global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver; Custom ReticleOS framework and
Android Kit Kat; Qualcomm Snapdragon 2.7 GHz quad-core processor with 64 GB storage; 720p
autofocus camera at 60 fps; swappable lenses including photochromic, clear, and tinted;
accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, altitude sensor, and ambient light and humidity
sensors; and 1300mAH lithium-ion batteries.
ODG has already tested its X-6 Glasses with the US Army, but the latest R-6S variant is being
offered up to special forces and intelligence agencies. (ODG)
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The design also includes: removable ear horns; a magnetic charging port with USB on-the-go; an
adjustable nose bridge with multi-size pads; dual 720p 16:9 stereoscopic see-through displays at
60 fps; magnetic stereo audio ports that accommodate ear buds with digital microphones; and a
wireless finger controller.
Housed in a pair of glasses that resembles typical sunglasses at a beach resort, the R-6S Glasses
weigh 156 g and allow their operator to display and record high-definition video and overlay geointelligence and other data maps over real-time images, while providing communications
capabilities and geo-referencing of friendly and enemy forces.
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However, ODG founder Ralph Osterhout told IHS Jane's that this was just the tip of the iceberg.
With a long history in designing and developing technology for SOF and intelligence agencies,
Osterhout is aware of capability gaps and requirements in their current inventory. ODG has
therefore designed a series of modules that can be clipped onto the base R-6S Glasses platform.
Unable to go into specifics due to operational security concerns, Osterhout said the series included
chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE), counter-improvised explosive
device (CIED), biometrics data, open source intelligence (OSINT), and Blue Force Tracking (BFT)
modules. The operator would clip on a mission set as per tasking, providing a flexible capability
perfectly suited to the modern tempo of operations, he said.
However, he admitted that one main concern currently appears to be battery life. Depending on
usage, current models can perform on a single charge from between one and two hours to up to
12 hours.
In line with the changing contemporary operating environment (COE) following over a decade of
kinetic operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere, such technology in a smaller form factor
could have utility in more covert roles, with SOF teams and intelligence agencies deploying small
units into urban and littoral areas to generate and gather as much information as possible on the
human terrain.
Coalition forces have been unable and, in some cases, unwilling to understand this particular
capability, which has been lacking during campaigns, especially in Afghanistan. Any type of HMD,
in the form of a regular pair of sunglasses, would add huge value to personnel deployed to gather
such intelligence.
Helmet-mounted C4ISTAR
This technology will also interest the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), which is
currently in the second year of its Tactical Light Assault Operator System (TALOS) effort: a nextgeneration body suit encompassing armour, an exoskeleton, a central battery, and body-cooling
technology, as well as C4ISTAR systems integrated into an HMD and ballistic helmet.
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The USSOCOM TALOS effort will rely upon a mature C4ISTAR HMD housed in an allencompassing ballistic helmet. (Revision Military)
1631224
TALOS is a five-year programme initiated by former USSOCOM boss Admiral Bill McRaven to
combat the 'fatal funnel' of enemy small arms fire faced by operators storming buildings and
compounds in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere over recent years. It aims to prove an initial
operating capability by 2017.
An interesting aspect of this programme is the all-encompassing, motorcycle-type helmet the
operator would wear. Such technology would provide maximum protection against maxillofacial
injuries and allow integration of a 360 HMD to counter the tunnel vision normally associated with
such helmets.
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The programme's first year has focused on the exoskeleton, although C4ISTAR sensor integration
is likely to figure heavily over the programme's remaining few years. The first iterations of the
ballistic helmet provide a blank canvas for integrating C4ISTAR payloads. USSOCOM sources told
IHS Jane's that requirements called for integration of networked radios, night-vision systems,
GPS, and smartphone and laptop technology.
However, integrating so many sensors adds up to a substantial weight. For the TALOS programme
this capability restriction has been addressed by Revision Military's Vertical Load Offset System
(VLOS): a curved bracket transferring the load of the ballistic helmet and associated sensors onto
the shoulders of an exoskeleton.
Revision Military's Brian Dowling said this allows for "full articulation and range of motion [of the
head and helmet], but floats on top of the head and you don't have that mental drain of a 7 lb
thing on your head anymore".
However, the TALOS effort and integrating C4ISTAR technology on board any type of HMD
involves the ergonomics of wearing an 'encapsulated suit' and helmet that could actually reduce
situational awareness.
Sources within NATO's SOF community have expressed concerns about such a 'stovepipe' system,
which could also encourage tunnel vision during an operation. As one operator put it, "What
happens if your battery runs out or if any of the integrated sensors fail to function?" This will be a
critical element of the programme for USSOCOM to consider as it moves forward with any
development of HMD and integrated C4ISTAR payloads.
Close air support
Interest in HMD technology is also rising within the joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) or
forward air controller (FAC) market, where similar uplifts in technology demands are under way.
The US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), Raytheon, and Rockwell Collins are
involved in the Persistent Close Air Support (PCAS) programme. Its third phase, which began last
year, comprises 18 months of live-fire demonstrations.
Raytheon and Rockwell Collins are considering HMD options as an end-user device for DARPA's
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PCAS effort. (US DARPA)
1631227
Raytheon vice-president for advanced missile systems Tom Bussing told IHS Jane's that PCAS will
help reduce close air support response times "from as long as one hour to just six minutes" by
delivering critical information to decision makers more quickly.
"PCAS will enable ground troops, JTACs, and combat aircrews to share real-time situational
awareness and weapons systems data," he said. "With PCAS, soldiers on the battlefield can
quickly and positively identify multiple targets simultaneously. JTACs and aircrews will jointly
select the best precision-guided weapons for each target while minimising collateral damage and
friendly fire."
Sources within Rockwell Collins said the JTAC community has become increasingly focused on
generating a 'more mobile environment'. Sources expect to see dramatic changes in tactics,
techniques, and procedures (TTPs) over the next decade or so.
"What we are witnessing is demand for more simple user interfaces in order to best execute
precision close air support missions and allowing for greater capability and flexibility to the JTACs
who might be calling these in," one source explained. The source highlighted requirements to
shorten the kill chain to three easy steps: sending target location information via tablet,
smartphone, or HMD; selecting appropriate 'joint fires' platforms; and selecting the most
appropriate ordnance to destroy that target.
Currently, testing is focused on the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and connectivity down to a PCAS
ground kit situated with a JTAC, comprising a handheld laser target designator and end-user
device in the form of a tablet to identify threats and select CAS aircraft and munitions best suited
to executing the task.
However, sources within USSOCOM informed IHS Jane's that, although this had yet to officially
take place, such technology could be easily integrated with the TALOS programme to develop
some kind of HMD for PCAS-enabled JTACs. These two flagship programmes have potential for
cross-collaboration.
Augmented reality
Meanwhile, Japanese company Epson has made available its 'Moverio' series of augmented-reality
eyewear, which is similar to the R-6S Glasses being offered by ODG. The BT-200 product
comprises a binocular and transparent pair of smart glasses originally designed for entertainment,
manufacturing, and medical communities.
A spokesperson for the company explained to IHS Jane's that each lens has its own display that
can project information into the surroundings of a (23) field of view (FOV). With X2 virtual screen
size, the 'lightweight' glasses are Bluetooth and Android capable, while also comprising a frontfacing camera and motion tracker.
The glasses include GPS, a compass, a gyroscope, an accelerometer, and a microphone; USB2.0
on-the-go connectivity with 1.2 Ghz dual core computer processor; plus 1 GB of RAM and internal
memory of 8 GB. This allows the technology to support file formats including MP5 and MPEG2 in
video, and WAV, MP3, AAC and Dolby Digital Plus in audio. The BT-200 is run on lithium-polymer
batteries and has a battery life of about six hours.
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Measuring 170x185x32 mm, the headset weighs 88 g with a wrist-worn controller weighing an
additional 124 g. However, Epson was unavailable to comment on the application of the system in
the military market.
Airborne crossover
Another company moving into the HMD market off the back of the airborne market is BAE
Systems with its Q-Warrior system. Following on from the company's Q-Sight HMD for pilots, the
Q-Warrior was designed to address the "unique needs of troops on the ground ... by delivering
combat situation awareness and capabilities at day and night".
This product differs from the fully integrated option being considered by the TALOS programme
office and the lighter-weight options being offered up by ODG and Epson, a company
spokesperson told IHS Jane's .
"The full-colour, lightweight display clips easily to existing in-service helmets for increased
capability on the battlefield at a low cost ... providing a critical head-up, eyes-out situation
awareness to the dismounted soldier, improving mission success with low fatigue to the wearer.
"Military operations require special capabilities, such as the identification of hostile, non-hostile,
and friendly forces, and the co-ordination of small unit actions. With the Q-Warrior HMD,
waypoints, points of interest, and targets are all displayed, overlaid on the real world, reducing
workload. Sensor feeds allow the user to see imagery from unmanned vehicles and other
surveillance sensors," added the spokesperson.
Specifically, Q-Warrior includes 'high visibility' of a battlefield situation with BFT identifying friendly
and enemy forces on the display. It can also be attached to in-service combat helmets including
the OpsCore solution currently utilised by most SOF units globally. The head-up display (HUD) can
then be retracted as and when required, providing relief for the operator and avoiding the tunnel
vision associated with more all-encompassing products: a requirement stressed by a NATO SOF
working group looking into this technology.
Q-Warrior is also capable of gathering command-and-control (C2) and communications data from
the battlefield and providing C4ISTAR overlays to an operator's sight picture, while also allowing
him or her to confirm and share target acquisition information. BFT integration will allow the user
to overlay geo-registered symbology over a real-world image, while full-colour sensor feeds from
UAVs and other airborne or ground ISR platforms can be relayed onto the Q-Warrior screen.
Finally, navigation tools comprise waypoints, geo-referenced points of interest, and enemy
targets, all overlaid onto a real-world sight picture.
"Complete full awareness of all assets, friend or foe, can be identified over an entire threedimensional battlespace, permanently displayed in a simple manner, thereby reducing the
workload and enhancing the situation awareness of a user," added the BAE spokesperson.
However, Q-Warrior has yet to see any tangible traction in deployment with ground force
elements, despite being selected as an airborne HUD solution for rotary-wing assets, as well as
certain elements of its technology being transferred as part of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike
Fighter HMDS programme.
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The F-35 Lightning II HMDS is state-of-the-art technology that could prove too expensive to
integrate into an HMD for dismounted troops. (Rockwell Collins)
1631226
Finally, Rockwell Collins and Elbit Systems are considering future utility of the HMDS designed as
the primary helmet for the F-35 programme. Having encountered problems such as latency issues
during development for the Joint Strike Fighter programme, the pair of companies has since
provided an optimal solution to the Lockheed Martin programme office with an HMD providing 40
FOV; look-through-aircraft capability via DAS imagery; high-accuracy tracking with autoboresighting; active noise reduction; a digital night-vision sensor; an ejection capability to 550
KEAS; multiple inter-pupillary distance settings; video recording; picture-in-picture capability; and
compatibility with eyeglasses and laser eye protection devices.
However, the current question for Rockwell Collins is whether the same technology can be
transferred into SOF and ground force systems.
Testing began last year following delivery of the Gen III HMDS to Lockheed Martin ahead of
software integration on board the fighter itself at Edwards Air Force Base, California. However, at
about USD600,000 per unit, any realistic expectation to produce an SOF or ground-element
variant is unlikely to include all technology associated with the airborne helmet.
OUTLOOKThe future appears bright for HMD and HUD technology in the dismounted
environment, with a healthy transition of technology continuing to cross from more mature
airborne solutions to the SOF community and wider, conventional ground forces.
However, price points will pay a huge part in any deployment of such technology, so the market
can expect to see the first evolution in this capability coming out of the special operations and
intelligence agency sectors in small numbers.
If such moves, as and when they happen, prove a success, it would not be surprising to see the
future warfighter deploying onto the battlefield with such a capability, enabling far greater
network-centric operations to be executed.
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Andrew White is a JDW Correspondent, based in London
Copyright IHS Global Limited, 2015

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ihs.

FEATURES, United States

Date Posted: 17-Mar-2015

HUDs for the grunts: head-mounted

Andrew White is a JDW Correspondent, based in London

Copyright IHS Global Limited, 2015

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