The U.S. Navy's Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is working on augmented reality headset applications to help engineers communicate with engineers worldwide to repair and maintain the service branch's platforms and air vehicles.
The Augmented Reality Remote Maintenance Support Service (ARRMSS) is a portable suite that employs augmented reality headsets to connect two users from any location worldwide through a virtual environment, the Naval Air Systems Command said Monday.
ARRMSS consists of a headset, a remote wireless access point and a tablet and can operate on low-bandwidth networks. Users can share files and photos and communicate verbally with one another through holograms superimposed on any equipment.
"We’re working to an aggressive developmental schedule – ARRMSS went from proof of concept to working prototype in less than two years, and we’re ready to start beta-testing the product worldwide," said Aristides Staikos, AR research and development engineering lead at NAWCAD Lakehurst.
NAWCAD tested ARRMSS across the East Coast of the U.S. and is set to enter the next phase for the system. The suite is slated to enter production in 2023.