Red Six unveiled footage of their augmented reality system at I/ITSEC this week. Red Six's Airborne Tactical Augmented Reality System (ATARS) enables pilots to see and interact with virtual airframes while flying actual aircraft. Virtual aircraft currently have a ghostlike appearance by design but still have a realistic feel to them.
Augmented reality has been around for years but getting a consistent 3D image to appear and maintain its position in relation to the observer at the speed of a jet fighter is a huge technical challenge. Red Six's CEO Daniel Robinson told Janes that they have been the first to find solutions to a long list of issues and have multiple patents in place to cover that technology.
Major Megan Booze and Major Sean Lipkin from the USAF 4th Training Squadron have been employing ATARS while training F-15 pilots. While the system is new and under constant development, they could foresee huge utility especially in terms of surface-to-air threats, which are typically wholly notional on exercise.
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