Estonian-Croatian technology firm Defensphere has announced the first field test of its new mixed reality situational awareness system for combat vehicles.
The so-called Vegvisir solution reportedly allows personnel to “see through the wall” of the armored vehicle.
According to company chief executive Ingvar Pärnamäe, the test was initiated by the 1st Infantry Brigade Scouts Battalion of the Estonian Defence Forces at its Tapa airfield.
It used the Patria Sisu XA-188 6×6 armored personnel carrier and the CV-9035 Infantry Fighting Vehicle to test the technology.
Estonian-Croatian company Defensphere's Vegvisir Mixed Reality Situational Awareness System (MRSAS) been integrated into the CV9035EE IFV and the Sisu XA-188 6×6 APC, which provides vehicle crews with the see-through-armor capability. pic.twitter.com/bym0YOLcYG
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The event reportedly confirmed the system’s ability to provide an improved view of the surroundings, allowing operators to make better decisions on the battlefield.
“Test driving was conducted at speeds of 40-60 kilometers per hour on different landscapes – an old airfield, gravel roads, and off-road. We gained a lot of valuable feedback, as well as reassurance that we’ve created a much-needed solution,” Pärnamäe stressed.
The company said it would showcase the system at a defense expo in the United Arab Emirates, integrating it for the first time into Milrem Robotics’ Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle.
Further Assessment
Defensphere’s new Vegvisir situational awareness system features vehicle-mounted high-resolution cameras and a fully immersive headset with ultra-low latency to provide an unobstructed field of view.
It can also be fitted with supplementary data overlays to provide users with a 360-degree overview of what is happening in the combat vehicle’s immediate surroundings.
According to the Estonian-Croatian startup, nearly 40 people participated in the field testing to offer baseline assessments about the effectiveness and comfort level of the solution.
They reported a much better field-of-view compared to periscopes.
Crew members also cited a “very high level” of awareness and understanding of their surroundings while sitting in the back of the vehicles.
Additionally, several participants who suffer from motion sickness reported no discomfort using the system.
“We can conclude that the development of the system has been successful and we received great feedback from the participants. The work continues and we will soon be able to share news from the next testing session in upcoming months,” Defensphere stated on its website.
