The T-7A explores the metaverse
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NATIONAL PORT, Maryland — The T-7A jet trainer will be able to take pilots to new heights by practicing tactics, techniques and procedures similar to those they would face in a real dogfight. But what if fighters could actually see their opponents in midair while they train?
That vision could soon become a reality as Boeing announced in September that it would invest in training and simulation startup Red 6.
Using augmented reality, Red 6’s headsets project planes into a pilot’s field of vision that are so realistic the company is shooting promotional videos by hand, said Dan Robinson, CEO and co-founder of the company. society.
“It is not returned. It’s completely raw. In fact, it’s so raw that it’s produced by picking up an iPhone [and] sticking it inside a helmet,” he said at a deployment event in September at the Air and Space’s annual air, space and cybersecurity conference. Forces Association at National Harbor, Maryland. “It demonstrates, as you have seen, the progress that has been made in such a short time.”
The company’s Advanced Tactical Augmented Reality System, or ATARS, will first be integrated into an A-4 Skyhawk test and trace aircraft, said Dan Gillian, vice president and general manager of U.S. Government Services at the division. Boeing Global Services.
The AR system would help simulate opponents for pilots to practice aerial combat tactics. Air Force leadership said the service should prioritize modernizing its training using the Joint Simulation Environment, which combines live training with high-end virtual simulations.
Red 6 ultimately wants to create a training metaverse, or digital realm synchronous with real life, Robinson said.
“We now have the genesis of a living, breathing digital world – a metaverse that may be continuous in nature,” Robinson said.
Once the technology is there, the service could attempt more complex exercises such as long-range campaign training, he said.
“This is how we want to transform the way we are going to shape the future,” he said.
After integrating the A-4, Boeing will consider other platforms such as the Red Hawk, Gillian noted.
“As always, we spend our [internal research-and-development] dollars and our investment dollars to bring new technologies online to merge with our product lines in the future. And we definitely see a path like this happening,” he said.
He noted that any integration into the Red Hawk would be with Air Force support and coordination and would not jeopardize program objectives.
“It does not affect the short-term delivery schedule or commitment to the T-7,” he said.
The T-7A is constantly exploring the latest technologies to ensure the best technology is available to train pilots for future combat, said Paul Niewald, vice president of the T-7 program at Boeing.
“We are confident that augmented reality with its breathtaking realism will be key to improving pilot training and decision making in high-speed cockpit environments,” he said in an email. . “The potential integration is an example of Boeing’s commitment to investing in technology and our drive to be at the forefront of innovation in the aerospace and defense industries.”
Topics: Training and Simulation, Aviation, Emerging Technologies