As Google developing its Google Glasses, BAE Systems has built a similar system for combat that would offer troops a 3D heads-up display to give them a picture of the entire battlefield.
Called Q-Warrior, BAE Systems said the see through display system has already received favorable reviews in military testing. It was first developed with Special Operations Forces in mind.
Q-Warrior could be part of the Iron Man suit that Adm. William McRaven, head of U.S. Special Operations Command, wants to build for special operators. It's not a stretch to compare the Army Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit to the one worn in the Hollywood movie. McRaven himself has often offered the comparison.
A 3D heads of display like Q-Warrior would be necessary to allow special operators quick access to information without fumbling with a screen. The Q-Warrior could connect to sensor feeds, blue force tracking, pilots in aircraft overhead, and even the screens commanders at headquarters are watching. Troops also could provide waypoints over the terrain in front of them.
The Q-Warrior offers a "high transmission and high luminescence see-through display which incorporates a high-resolution color, collimated display to allow the use of symbols and video to blend intuitively with the user's view of the world," BAE Systems officials said in a statement.
Paul Wright, BAE Systems' Soldier Systems' Business Development Lead, said he expected Forward Air Controllers/Joint Tactical Aircraft Controllers (JTACS) with Special Forces units to be the first to receive the Q-Warrior.
"“The biggest demand, in the short term at least, will be in roles where the early adoption of situational awareness technology offers a defined advantage,” he said in a statement. "The next level of adoption could be light role troops such as airborne forces or marines, where technical systems and aggression help to overcome their lighter equipment.”
