EagleEye project aims to enhance U.S. soldiers' battlefield awareness through advanced XR technology
Meta Platforms has announced a strategic partnership with defense technology firm Anduril Industries to develop advanced extended reality (XR) systems for the U.S. military.
The collaboration focuses on integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and augmented reality (AR) to enhance soldiers' situational awareness and decision-making capabilities on the battlefield.
Central to this initiative is the development of EagleEye, a high-tech helmet designed to provide real-time battlefield intelligence.
The helmet will incorporate Meta's AI models, including its Llama series, and leverage Anduril's Lattice platform—a command and control system that synthesizes data from multiple sources to deliver actionable insights to military personnel.
The EagleEye system aims to improve soldiers' sensory perception, enabling the detection of threats such as drones and concealed targets.
The technology is intended to function as an AI-powered assistant, capable of managing tasks and facilitating communication among units.
Meta's Reality Labs will contribute its expertise in AR and VR technologies to the project.
This partnership marks a significant step for Meta into the defense sector, following a policy change in November 2024 that allowed its AI models to be used for military applications by U.S. government agencies and defense contractors.
The collaboration also reunites Meta CEO
Mark Zuckerberg with Palmer Luckey, founder of Anduril and former Oculus VR executive.
Meta and Anduril have submitted a joint proposal for the U.S. Army's Soldier Borne Mission Command (SBMC) Next program, which seeks to advance the Army's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS).
The proposal includes the development of XR devices aimed at enhancing soldier effectiveness through improved mobility, lethality, and situational awareness.
The EagleEye project is privately funded by Meta and Anduril, utilizing technology initially developed for commercial use.
The initiative reflects a broader trend of increased collaboration between technology companies and the defense sector, as the U.S. military seeks to incorporate cutting-edge innovations to maintain strategic advantages.