US Army Set to Receive Improved Microsoft HoloLens Goggles For Testing

The US Army is slated to receive a new and improved version of Microsoft’s HoloLens combat goggles as the company tries to address motion sickness issues.

Initial testing of Microsoft’s goggles resulted in “mission-affecting physical impairments” in 80% of soldiers. Impairments manifested after less than three hours of use. As a result of those tests, Congress refused to give the Army $400,000 million to purchase an additional 6,900 units. Instead, legislators approved $40 million to address the issues and improve the designs.

The company confirmed to Engadget that it will deliver 20 IVAS (Integrated Visual Augmentation System) 1.2 devices in July, with Bloomberg saying the Army intends to begin testing them in late August.

As Engadget points out, much is riding on these tests, especially for Microsoft. If the company has not resolved the issues with motion sickness, it will likely lose the Army contract, casting doubt on the overall project.