IDF Brings ‘Google Glass’ Type Technology to the Battlefield

The Israeli combat soldiers will be equipped with glasses allowing them record & send data back to a command center, allowing them to receive real-time updates from those with a broader overview of the battlefield.

By Israel Today Staff

 

Taking inspiration from Google Glass and similar technologies, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are busily developing the battlefield command and control platforms of the future.

IDF combat soldiers in training exercise.

The IDF Spokesman on Tuesday announced that the Israeli army’s own version of “Google Glass” had been successfully tested using a homegrown logistics app.

“We have completed our first application that works on a mobile platform – mobile logistics transportation,” said Capt. Rotem, head of the IDF’s Development Branch.

The officer explained to the IDF Blog that the app “displays a map on the screen, showing the route they are taking to deliver logistics, trucks with weapons, etc. This enables the commanders to gather updates on the delivery during the fighting, when it will reach the area – and be able to control the means of transport.”

The idea is that Israeli combat soldiers in the field will be equipped with these glasses allowing them record and send data back to a command center, and in turn receive real-time updates and instructions from those with a broader overview of the battlefield.

“After [last year’s Gaza war], there became a greater understanding that mobility is a significant factor in combat,” added Capt. Rotem. “One of the things we’re working on is a change in the perception of mobility within the development branch of the IDF. In the coming year we will learn how to develop and utilize Android apps, and enter the realm of multi-faceted technology.”

 

View original Israel Today publication at: http://www.israeltoday.co.il/NewsItem/tabid/178/nid/26206/Default.aspx