DOD launches AR / VR technology on the 5G test bench
The Department of Defense has begun deploying 5G-powered augmented reality / virtual reality systems at some of its 5G test sites, which are part of a $ 600 million broader initiative to expand DOD’s 5G capabilities. first announced in October 2020.
GBL Systems Corp. and Samsung will showcase 5G-enabled AR / VR versions of live military field training exercises in which users will interact with virtual obstacles in the combat theater and see data and instrument overlays in the physical environment . The technology aims to advance mission planning, make training more accessible and improve operations.
Several students will be able to interact simultaneously with the digital environment, seeing real-time data overlays in the physical environment with their AR / VR glasses. Testing will initially begin in a lab, but then the pilot will use Samsung’s mid-range radios to expand capacity to a brigade of soldiers.
While GBL will be responsible for prototyping and technology integration, Samsung will provide access to its 5G product network (its massive MIMO radios, its 5G autonomous cloud core, and its Galaxy 5G mobile devices) and its technical experience.
The testing process will allow DOD to work with the two companies to verify the deployment of a scalable, resilient, and secure 5G network for AR / VR-based mission planning and training, Samsung officials said.
“This effort has the potential to revolutionize the way the DoD conducts distributed training exercises that are more similar to combat to significantly advance the preparation of combatants,” said Jim Buscemi, CEO of GBL.
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Shourjya Mookerjee is an associate editor of GCN and FCW. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland, in College Park, and has written for Vox Media, Fandom and various media outlets in the capital. You can contact him at [email protected] – or you can find him discussing sports, film and the importance of local journalism on Twitter @byShourjya.