Public:ARHUDFM FAQ: Difference between revisions

With Microsoft's IVAS - HoloLense product, our product combines only a few [[#characteristics and features|'''characteristics and features''']]: weight, any augmented reality features (which are implemented differently, optically and electronically), hand tracking, voice control. The product promises map and positioning features, STE training features, and digital aiming device FWS-I integration. But these features are also implemented differently, from the interface and graphical view to the resource requirements of the device. Therefore, the architecture, electronic component composition, interface, and software capabilities are very different.

'''Unsuitable technology.''' IVAS uses holographic optics when a light wave arrives at the border of the medium separation between the lens and the air above a critical angle, causing the effect of multiple total internal reflections between the front and back surfaces of the lens and fluorescence in the lens glass, which emits light in all directions. Therefore, IVAS uses thick internal lenses that glow in the dark, which is a major deficiency for defense and security use, making servicemen an excellent target for enemy snipers. To reduce this disadvantage, the IVAS uses an external tinted visor lens, which is also critical for the user in the dark, he loses situational awareness. This once again confirms the fact that the HoloLense 2-based IVAS was not originally designed for military use, but was created for educational and entertainment purposes:

The displays on the HoloLens 2 are simple waveguide displays with a fixed focus of about two meters (6.5 feet). Because of the fixed focus, the displays exhibit [https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/mixed-reality/design/comfort Vergence-accommodation conflict], which is an unpleasant visual experience for the viewer.<br>

Diffraction waveguides greatly affect the quality of the image. Let's say your enemy soldier is red and your friend is green. And you see pink... And you don't understand which color is distorted red or green.<br>

'''Problem of dimming areas of the screen.''' IVAS, HoloLense 1 and 2, and other manufacturers of AR / MR / XR glasses and masks today have not solved the very important problem of dimming part of the screen. The fact is that the user sees a reflection of light rays or a fluorescent glow (holographic image) generated by the primary waveguide effect of light. But such glasses and masks cannot display dark areas. Because of this, a contrast image in daylight without artificial dimming is impossible. And artificial dimming, however, excludes situational awareness of the surrounding space. The user views the darkest parts of the image simply as background areas, no darker than the background. In its promos, Microsoft deliberately misinforms its audience by showing holograms with opaque black or other dark colors that are darker than the background. Therefore, this technology falls under the limitation for use during daylight hours. With our ARHUDFM product, we have found an elegant solution to the problem of dimming to display (parts of the screen) contrasting images during the day and in artificial light, so that the user can constantly view their surroundings without degradation, even in bright sunlight. For example, thermal images or video from a digital spotting device, drone, robot, other users' cameras, or cameras mounted on armored vehicles.<br>

'''Insufficient field of view.''' IVAS has a lower FOV (80°h 28°v) than the ARHUDFM product (105°h and 70°v) or compared to normal optics. What does this mean? With a low FOV, you won't be able to distinguish small areas and details in the image. You will be very uncomfortable using the digital aiming device. After all, when you look through the eyepiece of a normal optical sight you view at least 60°h 60°v, i.e. together with the IVAS you don't see about half of it.

IVAS uses an LCoS projection module, while we use DLP. Both technologies are interesting:

| LCoS can be used to control the phase of light in each pixel for beam control, so it is used by all holographic display manufacturers for AR. The LCoS can have a more compact size. You could say that HoloLense has no choice. || ARHUDFM does not use holographic optics, so with DLP it can display smoother (at 1080p FHD, 2K, 4K, 9K resolution) images without jitter, perfect geometry and superior grayscale linearity, higher contrast, wider color gamut, up to 35 trillion colors (the human eye can detect about 16 million colors).

| LCoS chips are more resistant to high-power radiation than DLP matrixes because all elements are placed on a cooling pad. However, the loss of luminous flux in LCoS is higher than in DLP. Because of this, more powerful LED and laser sources are used. More power consumption and more cooling is required. || DLP pico projectors can emit light of more than 50 Lm, but such power in an AR devices is not required, and the index of loss of luminous flux is lower. Lower power consumption and more efficient cooling in compact sealed housing.

| The LCoS uses a polarized light wave like many 3D glasses. During prolonged use, it causes increased fatigue, just like LED screens on computers, phones, and TVs. || With DLP, the light of the projected image is not polarized as such.

| The distance between matrix elements is several tens of micrometers and the fill factor (the ratio of the total working area of pixels to the total matrix area) in LCoS is lower than in DLP. || In DLP projectors, images are created by microscopically small mirrors placed in a matrix on a semiconductor chip known as a digital micromirror device (DMD). These mirrors are so small that the pixel pitch of a DMD can be 5.4 µm or smaller. Each mirror corresponds to one or more pixels of the projected image.

| LCoS is the third most popular technology after DLP and 3LCD (LCD), but has a much smaller market share, is close to 3LCD, but unlike the latter, uses reflective rather than translucent LCD matrices. LCoS creates images using a fixed mirror attached to the surface of the chip and uses an LCD matrix to control how much light is reflected. LCoS projectors today use mostly three-chip circuits based on monochrome LCoS matrixes since sequential matrixes have very low contrast. HoloLens 2 uses two Field Sequential Color (FSC) LCoS microdisplays from Himax. || DLP is a chipset based on optical microelectromechanical technology (MEMS) that uses a digital micro-mirror device. It is also used in about 85% of digital cinema projections (including IMAX, and RealD) and in additive manufacturing as a light source in some 3D printers for curing resins into solid three-dimensional objects. ARHUDFM uses a single microdisplay manufactured by Texas Instruments.

| LCoS are more expensive. || DLP has a lower price and makes the final product cheaper.

'''Lens fogging problem.''' Another disadvantage is the problem of fogging of the lenses. The fogging effect occurs even when the air temperature outside drops slightly. It is enough +5-10°C (41-50°F).  No matter what translucent material the lens and visor are made of (glass, polycarbonate, polyurethane, etc.), when moving from a cooler state to a warmer one, condensation appears on the surface, as the lens material has temperature inertia and in conditions of contrast of lens and air temperatures, a dew point is formed on the lens surface. This appears in the following cases:

* Rapid temperature changes. In the fall, winter, and spring, the temperature in any room is warmer than outside. When you go indoors from the street, the cold lenses meet the warm air. Water vapor from the warm air settles on the surface of the cold lenses in the form of small droplets. Condensation forms.

* The lenses fog up on their own. When you are out in the cold, the lenses become cold and the warm air that you exhale rises up. Again there is a temperature difference and fogging occurs.

* Fog. When humidity is high, condensation will form on the lenses not only indoors, but even outdoors.

Chemical agents against lens fogging have little effect. Our product solves this problem by sealing the inner lens from the outer lens and by sealing around the face contour when using the lower part of the mask.<br>

'''High power consumption and insufficient battery capacity.''' The IVAS electronics based on a single board computer SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 850; HPU; RAM 4Gb LPDDR4x system DRAM; 64 Gb flash; WLAN 802.11ac; Bluetooth 5; is one of the most performant for compact devices today, but also more expensive than the one we use in our device. IVAS uses 7 cameras vs. 4 cameras in our product and a higher performance GPU. This significantly increases the power consumption of the system components. And with the IVAS's lower battery capacity and higher power consumption, the claimed battery life is 7-8 hours (it was 2-3 hours in tests), which is critically low for defense and security use. Microsoft offers a simple solution, with 3 interchangeable batteries included. However, in order for the user to replace the battery, he has to perform several actions: take off the mask and gloves, take off the backpack, open it and take out the replacement battery, turn off the device, open the lid of the mask housing, remove the battery from the device, insert a fresh battery, turn on the device, put the battery in the backpack, close it and put it back on, put on the mask. As you can see, it's not quick. But that's not the problem. The battery can run out at a very unsuitable time, the IVAS will just turn off and become an obstacle. It could also be raining or snowing and you can't allow moisture to get inside the electronic device. It may be dark and you can't quickly change the battery, unlike a quick magazine change of a firearm, which can be done by feel. With the ARHUDFM mask, we have thought of this and the non-removable battery capacity is 40,800 mAh, which is equivalent to a lifetime of over 72 hours. And in special cases, when you want to increase the continuous life of the device, the user can connect the power bank from the backpack without removing it, but only by reaching into the pocket and inserting the cable into the connector on the back of the mask.<br>

'''Passive cooling problem.''' Another problem is the cooling of electronic components inside a sealed case, especially the processor (CPU), the graphics processing unit (HPU), the RAM chips, and the battery. Air cooling breaks the seal and moisture and dust can enter. Air cooling is not possible with sealed designs. Liquid cooling is not possible for wearable compact devices. Using aluminum for the outer casing of a wearable device is ineffective because the casing will be heated by direct sunlight to the point where the processor protection kicks in and the processor starts to decelerate until it shuts down completely. IVAS has passive cooling (no fans), i.e. containing one or more of these disadvantages simultaneously, which is a critical problem for defense and security applications.<br>

'''Problem of fatigue and increased strain on the cervical spine.''' The IVAS has a mass of 2.5 lbs (expected to go down to 1.8 lbs). This does not seem to be much for an adult and sturdy person. But the center of mass protrudes forward several inches. This creates torque, which was noted during tests at the Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional Team, based at Fort Benning, GA. According to military experts, weight reduction is desirable, but not critical. But the generated torque is a serious disadvantage. For example, in used night vision devices, there is also a high torque (the weight of the device is about the same), but when the device is not in use, it can be folded upwards and almost completely get rid of this negative effect. With our ARHUDFM, the center of mass is centered around the head, so the torque is not felt, despite the comparable mass of the device.<br>

'''Problem with lack of multimedia.''' Microsoft HoloLens 1 and 2 and IVAS do not include an audio headset. U.S. Army personnel are pictured during field tests using headsets from other manufacturers that are compatible with the ballistic helmet. On the one hand, this does not allow for the integration of video and audio. On the other hand, it is a predetermined limitation for future functionality development. After all, combining multimedia with Software Defined Radio and next-generation networks, speech-to-text technology and one-to-many written/symbol communications with high quality and with short sessions opens up disruptive capabilities for every serviceman. We discuss the communications challenges and challenges for Cross-Domain Interaction [[#problems and strategic capabilities|'''in more detail here.''']]<br>

'''Problem of price and budget's willingness to pay it.''' Based on the published information about the DoD and Microsoft contract, the price of one set of devices is more than $55,000. This is more than twice as much as the thermal imaging night vision devices used today. And it is more than 5 times the LTV (live-time value) per ARHUDFM user. Initially, it was announced that Microsoft had a contract amount of $21.88 BN.<ref>Tom Warren and Sean Hollister, [https://www.theverge.com/2021/3/31/22360786/microsoft-hololens-headset-us-army-contract "Microsoft is supplying 120,000 HoloLens-based headsets to the US Army"], "The Verge", (Vox Media Inc., 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 11th Floor, Washington, DC 20036, March 31, 2021)</ref> It's not immediately clear when the Army, as well as the U.S. Marine Corps and elements of U.S. Special Operations Command, might expect to reach an initial operational capability with the IVAS system. The service says that there is still further test and evaluation to be done even after signing this new contract. Future budgets could have an impact on the project, as well. Congress notably trimmed $230 million from IVAS's research and development in the National Defense Authorize Act (NDAA), which was passed and signed into law earlier this year.<ref>Joseph Trevithick, [https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/40023/army-makes-gargantuan-bet-on-new-augmented-reality-goggles-for-its-soldiers "Army Makes Gargantuan Bet On New Augmented Reality Goggles For Its Soldiers"], "The Drive", (Recurrent Ventures Inc., 701 Brickell Ave, Suite 1550, Miami, FL 33131, April 4, 2021)</ref>

* 6:12 The IVAS operating system does not support running the ATAK navigation application

* 18:00 IVAS does not use eye-tracking to control the focal length, all of the controls are done through the buttons on the Puck

The US Army is taking delivery of a first batch of high-tech combat goggles made by Microsoft Corp., citing encouraging results from testing in the field. Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Douglas Bush has “cleared the Army to begin accepting” some of the 5,000 sets of goggles, spokesman Jamal Beck said in a statement. Their delivery had been placed on hold over concern about the device’s performance until more rigorous testing took place. Based on the test results so far the service “is adjusting its fielding plan to allow for time to correct deficiencies and also field to units that are focused on training activities,” Beck said.<ref>Anthony Capaccio, [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-01/microsoft-combat-goggles-win-first-us-army-approval-for-delivery "Microsoft Combat Goggles Win First US Army Approval for Delivery"], Bloomberg, (Bloomberg L.P., 731 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY, 10022, September 1, 2022)</ref><br>

'''Problem of fatigue and increased strain on the cervical spine.''' High torque. Due to the significant shift of the center of mass of the device forward. In our opinion, this disadvantage is not different from the same problems with IVAS.