Anduril’s new EagleEye MR helmet sees Palmer Luckey return to his roots in virtual reality

In the latest attempt by a Silicon Valley defense company to assert its own solution to the military’s mixed reality ambitions, Anduril Industries on Monday unveiled “EagleEye,” a helmet-wearing computer system that seeks to transform soldiers into AI-powered warfighters.

The launch is notable because the initiative is led by Anduri co-founder Palmer Luckey, who previously created virtual reality pioneer Oculus, which was acquired by Meta.

Anduril describes EagleEye as a modular “family of systems” built on Lattice software that puts command and control, sensor feeds and artificial intelligence directly in the soldier’s field of vision.

The company claims that the system can integrate live video feeds; It features rear and side sensors to alert operators to threats; He can track his teammates in real time. EagleEye variations include a helmet, visor and goggles.

The launch comes as the US Army looks to expand its portfolio of mixed reality equipment suppliers. It was using Microsoft’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), a $22 billion program awarded in 2018, but after years of problems, the Army handed over control of the contract To Anduril in February this year.

Then in September, Anduril won a $159 million award to design a prototype of a new mixed reality system for soldiers, part of a broader effort to lead the Soldier Born mission. Anduril said the award was “the largest effort of its kind” to provide “every soldier with superhuman awareness and decision-making capabilities.”

And earlier this year, Anduril too Announced a partnership with Meta To develop extended reality (XR) devices for the military, marking an unexpected meeting between Loki and his former employer.

“I am thrilled to be working with Mita again,” Lucki said in a blog post. “It has long been my mission to turn warfighters into technical experts, and the products we build with Meta do just that.”

EagleEye has a long history: The concept first appeared in Anduril’s first pitch draft, before investors convinced the startup’s team to focus on software like Lattice.

“Direct competition with Microsoft and Magic Leap would have demoralized the windmill driven by magical thinking,” Loki He said in a post on X In February. “Everything is different now. The world is ready, and so is Anduril.”