11.19.21

Hoeven: DoD Awards Contract to UND, Applied Research Associates for Third Phase of Humvee Display Technology Project

Senator Has Secured $15 Million in Total for Project, Which Will Provide More Complete Battlefield Data for Soldiers

GRAND FORKS, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today joined University of North Dakota (UND) leaders, including President Andrew Armacost, in announcing a new $5 million contract between the university, Applied Research Associates (ARA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) to develop augmented reality (AR) systems for Army vehicles. This contract supports the third phase of the project, which is developing a display for the windshield of High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles, also known as Humvees, to provide soldiers with access to greater and more accurate battlefield data. This includes:

  • Showing a soldier an automated model of routes that a vehicle should take to avoid battlefield hazards, including ways of avoiding chemical or biological threats.
  • Providing accurate navigation and positioning information in an environment where GPS is unavailable or where there is limited available bandwidth for communication.

The data is collected by autonomous systems, including unmanned aircraft, as well as by equipment on the vehicle, and is integrated by the display and presented in a clear and actionable manner. As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven secured this funding in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 appropriations bill, bringing the total project funding to $15 million to date.

“This project is about providing the best possible information to our warfighters in a manner that is easy to access and act upon, making them more effective on the battlefield and keeping them safe,” said Senator Hoeven. “North Dakota has long played a tremendous role in our nation’s defense. Now, we are leveraging our growing expertise in technology development, both at our research universities like UND and in the private sector, to greatly expand and diversify the ways our state contributes to the security of our nation.”

“We are proud to have this partnership with ARA and to have the support of Senator Hoeven. This work in augmented reality is an important part of our research contributions to national security. Projects like this demonstrate UND’s commitment to being a national leader in the development of autonomy, whether on the ground, in the air, or in space,” said President Armacost.

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