Last month, defense technology company Anduril revealed it is working with Meta to create XR (extended reality) products for the U.S. Military. Called “EagleEye,” the project will build off of the combined research and technology of both companies to increase military capabilities and cut defense spending, with one of the first items in development being a new military headset.

About the partnership

According to a statement released by Anduril, the companies aim to “design, build, and field a range of integrated XR products that provide warfighters with enhanced perception and enable intuitive control of autonomous platforms on the battlefield.” Founded in 2017 by Oculus creator Palmer Luckey, Anduril has quickly become a key player in defense and autonomous systems development – and this past February, it was put in charge of overseeing the U.S. Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS). To design the headsets for the EagleEye initiative, Anduril is using its AI-powered software platform, Lattice, to provide the technological framework. Lattice works by “tak[ing] in sensor data from a wide variety of platforms… and autonomously integrat[ing] it to build a unified view of the entire battlespace, while bringing attention to the most salient targets.” Meta will also utilize its years of AR and AI product development to contribute to the efforts.

Despite bad blood over past disputes with Meta, Palmer Luckey, Founder of Anduril, seems optimistic about the partnership:

“I am glad to be working with Meta once again. Of all the areas where dual-use technology can make a difference for America, this is the one I am most excited about. My mission has long been to turn warfighters into technomancers, and the products we are building with Meta do just that.”

Understanding how it works

While Microsoft previously oversaw IVAS and began testing “mixed reality” HoloLens headsets for the Army as far back as 2019, with Anduril at the helm, much is expected of the headsets currently in development. Anduril has yet to provide details on its headsets’ capabilities, but Microsoft’s goal for HoloLens was to enable soldiers to virtually view different vantage points, see environments in different times of day and weather, and view holographic images of buildings in order to plan entry and/or escape routes. Anduril and Meta’s XR helmet interface will most likely incorporate similar technology to provide increased information to streamline decision-making. Anduril did share that, “soldiers will gain intuitive access to Lattice’s analytical capabilities, a meaningful source of data for decision advantage.” CTO of Meta, Andrew Bosworth, states:

“The world is entering a new era of computing that will give people access to limitless intelligence and extend their senses and perception in ways that have never been possible before. Our national security benefits enormously from American industry bringing these technologies to life.”

Anduril and Meta’s AI IVAS headsets are currently in testing, and the response seems to be promising.

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