The crew members of the U.S.Air Force’s 7th Bomb Wing for the B-1 are testing X2 MR Glasses by ThirdEye Gen in concert with software from 3D media for maintenance operations.
The pilot program stems from the U.S. Air Force’s AFWERX program, which awarded 3D Media a $1 million Small Business Innovation Research contract in November 2019. The contract sought out a company that could build augmented reality (AR) tools to increase efficiency in training and repair operations. The crew of the 7th Bomb Wing for the B-1 has tested a dozen pairs so far, about a month into the pilot program. More AR glasses are on the way, according to 3D Media.
AR glasses are used in various capacities for training in the aerospace and automotive industries, where they provide hands-free video conferencing to guide technicians and mechanics who perform maintenance, repair and training operations.
The current methodology for maintenance, repair and training involves studying large manuals or tablets, which occupy at least one if not both hands at the same time. The X2 MR Glasses use a proprietary simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) to overlay 3D models, drawings and technical instructions adapted from manuals and existing software viewed on tablets. The X2s also function partly in the way a smartphone would, giving crew members the ability to take screenshots and open applications via voice commands, except with more than an audio headset but still hands-free. SLAM technology allows the software to align 3D models within millimeters of their intended overlay location. It will also store the geolocation of the overlaid object in its memory so that the user can remove the glasses and move somewhere else if needed. When a user returns to a task and puts the glasses on, the digital object is still overlaid in the exact same place as when they removed them.
The X2 MR Glasses run on Android and can connect to 5G networks as they continue to be rolled out. The glasses are ruggedized hardware, meaning they are designed and tested to retain functionality in harsh environments and are lightweight at about 10.5 ounces.
Bottom Line
ThirdEye works with the government and will likely ship the X2 Glasses to other service branches besides the U.S. Air Force for similar pilot programs revolving around training, repair and maintenance operations.