The US Army is testing the integration of mixed reality capabilities to modernize generator maintenance and training across the service.
Led by the army’s C5ISR Center, the effort utilizes commercial off-the-shelf virtual-reality goggles. The eyewear is programmed with maintenance guidance and machine learning prioritized troubleshooting steps for Advanced Medium Mobile Power Sources (AMMPS).
AMMPS is a generator deployed across the US Army and Marine Corps and maintained by C5ISR Center’s Engineering and Systems Integration Directorate.
Work on the generator maintenance includes blended goggle technology to provide a visual aid for specialists and algorithms collected during past repairs for improved diagnostic accuracy and efficient operation timelines.
Overlayed elements projected through the goggles consist of virtual graphics, text, video, and tools enabling easier hands-free viewing of technical instructions than previous iterations.
“Putting on that headset brings me to the right troubleshooting procedures, right away. It gives Soldiers so many resources in one headset that we never had before,” Tactical Power Generation Specialist Staff Sgt. Jennifer Woolums explained.
“It’s going to be easier for a Soldier to troubleshoot, find the initial problem, get the part ordered, and get the piece of equipment up and running in a timely manner. It’ll save hours of time. Being able to maximize a Soldier’s time is the most important thing.”
‘Revolutionizing’ Maintenance Processes
According to the US Army, the mixed reality goggles answer queries regarding the AMMPS generator’s operating site while its software predicts related problems and guides users to appropriate troubleshooting steps.
Workarounds are recommended based on older and recent generator repairs to instantly apply modifications, an upgrade over the previous approach requiring “slow and costly” paper-based technical manual updates.
In preparation, the army can deploy a “digital twin” to enable virtual training without future users being physically present with the generator.
“Our branch focuses on revolutionizing the maintenance process,” Engineering and Systems Integration Directorate Electronics Engineer Daniel Goeggel stated.
“This research in mixed reality supplements Soldiers’ training and experience in maintaining this complex equipment. The goal is to improve readiness by saving Soldiers’ time and overall system performance and reliability.”
