Army Technology

Croatian Army tests vehicle-mounted mixed-reality crew system

Croatian Army personnel used Vegvisir’s Mixed Reality Situational Awareness System over two-days , driving on rough roads at speeds up to 60km/h.

A mixed-reality system from Estonian-Croatian start-up Vegvisir has undergone testing with the Croatian Army onboard a Patria AMV 8x8 armoured vehicle, with the capability intended to provide users greater situational awareness when on operations.

The demonstration tests, conducted in May, saw Croatian Army personnel using Vegvisir’s Mixed Reality Situational Awareness System over a two-day period, driving on rough gravel roads at speeds of up to 60km/h.

The system is designed to enhance situational awareness on armoured vehicles with the help of vehicle-mounted cameras, incorporating an immersive ultra-low latency headset and supplementary data overlay capability. It is able to give the vehicle’s personnel a 360-degree overview of what is happening in the immediate surroundings of the vehicle.

According to a company release, the company has also carried out field tests with the Estonian Defense Forces, using the Patria XA-188 6x6 and Patria XA-180 6x6 armoured vehicles, and the CV9035 infantry fighting vehicle.

The mixed-reality system uses four optical cameras fitted to the front, back, and sides of the host vehicle. Credit: Vegvisir

The system is lined up for an official launch in September this year, with further demonstration tests being explored. The company's website indicates its participation in the DSEI defence exhibition in London, UK, which also takes place in September.

“We are anxious to evaluate Vegvisir’s integration capability on other platforms and are in touch with several manufacturers to set up new tests for the coming months,” said Vegvisir’s CEO Ingvar Pärnamäe.

When the system is installed on a vehicle, each member of the crew is able to have a dedicated user interface dependent on position, such as navigation, battlefield management, and other intelligence. Examples of capabilities available include virtual overlays of friendly and enemy information on live video feeds, real-time position and heading information.

The system incorporates four sensor system modules fitted to the front, rear, and sides of the host vehicle, with crew using head or helmet mounted displays for the mixed-reality experience. If required, the system can utilise thermal sensors, Vegvisir stated.