US Air Force to Incorporate ThirdEye’s X2 MR Glasses in Airframe Training
AREA member ThirdEye, a leader in augmented and mixed reality (MR) enterprise solutions, announced its partnership with 3D Media, a technology development firm that specializes in virtual and augmented reality solutions for the enterprise, to improve training and human performance for flight line maintainers and flight crews for one of the Air Force’s leading airframes.
The partnership will help airmen prepare for missions by bettering safety, increasing efficiency and improving proficiency when working on one of the Air Force’s leading airframes
With ThirdEye’s X2 MR Glasses, the lightest MR glasses on the market at just 300 grams, personnel will find improved safety, efficiency and proficiency when working on the airframes to ensure they are mission ready.
Last year, on November 13, 3D Media was awarded a $1 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from AFWERX to build AR tools to improve training for airmen. After conducting research on the available AR and MR glasses on the market today, ThirdEye’s track record of execution and success in military environments was a key reason its X2 MR Glasses were chosen for research and development purposes, along with a larger deployment into the Air Force and U.S. Department of Defense. The X2 MR Glasses align with the military’s needs, from its industrial capabilities, platform built for working applications, and ability to connect with subject matter experts in harsh environments.
By wearing the X2 MR Glasses, flight crews and flight line maintainers can connect with experts in any environment via the glasses’ built-in proprietary 3D SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) system and CAD modeling and overlay, where step-by-step technical instructions and drawings will project onto the X2 MR Glasses display. The glasses also take screenshots and enlarge images for better visibility. Flight crews and maintainers are then able to open and view documents via voice command, while working hands-free, without worrying about the Wi-Fi connection because of the X2 MR Glasses’ 5G capabilities.
“As more of the world’s military adopt AR and MR solutions to better support the training and work of personnel, we’re honored to be working with 3D Media to contribute to the U.S. Air Force’s efforts and increase the safety of our airmen,” said Nick Cherukuri, Founder and CEO of ThirdEye. “From our previous work in the military, ThirdEye’s X2 MR Glasses have undergone drop tests, so we know it’s ready to support airmen however needed, no matter where they are.”
The X2 MR Glasses fit a wide field of view with powerful sensors, providing advanced MR features that are not available on a monocular device, all while remaining entirely hands-free – important for being out in the field where wires can be a potential hazard. The X2 MR Glasses also run on the latest Android operating system (OS) allowing software to be easily ported onto the glasses.
“When we go into a project, we never assume what the outcome is going to be – the answer comes from collaborating with other experts. By partnering with ThirdEye, we’re arming airmen with X2 MR Glasses to significantly improve their day-to-day,” said Daryl Roy, CEO and Founder of 3D Media. “I believe that augmented reality’s largest opportunity is in the area of human performance, where there’s no margin for error. ThirdEye has proven to be successful in military environments, and with life and death literally on the line, it’s important to arm our military personnel with the best.”