The AWARE Project: Arming Wearable Augmented Reality Equipment to Strengthen Psychological Reserves and Resilience
Abstract
Augmented reality (AR) headsets are a powerful handsfree tool that allows holograms to help individuals and teams navigate the world. The Army recently invested $480 million to use Microsoft HoloLens AR headsets to enhance soldiers capabilities on the battlefield. The promising uses of HoloLens to protect soldiers lives are countless. For the past two years, researchers at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) demonstrated that AR headsets could help build mental functioning and social connectedness. This research is especially relevant to the Army as 10-30% of soldiers who experience battle suffer from mental impairments, notably, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our proposed plan is to increase CSUNÕs AR research capacities by six-fold by purchasing 72 HoloLens and 72 laptops. The Army Research OfficeÕs (ARO), Social and Cognitive Networks Directorate, led by Dr. Edward T. Palazzolo, is most relevant to evaluate CSUNÕs proposal. Specifically, the ARO s recent Broad Agency Announcement (BAA; W911NF-17-S-0002-07) highlights a particular research interest in the social and healthcare behavior effects of human-machine teaming (p. 52- 53). In the near-future, soldiers and their HoloLens will work together on many day-to-day operations. Dr. Palazzolo s teamwork and transactive memory expertise are fitting to evaluate the plans to study AR-human systems to understand its link to performance. CSUN, one of the nation s largest Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), has successfully developed five functional AR headset applications to promote mental health and operational capacities. Pilot and feasibility studies on these five applications have been conducted with community-dwelling older adults, nursing mothers, and people with Parkinson s Disease. Although promising, CSUN has been limited in its research capacities due to having only three AR headsets and three computers powerful enough to properly run software protocols. The purchase of more AR equipment allows CSUN to collect data faster and involve over 100 more students on cutting-edge research projects. Providing more CSUN students with AR research experience makes them competitive for high demand AR positions, as the marketplace grows from $3.48 billion in 2017 to an estimated $198.17 billion by 2025. AR technology, however, is still in its infancy. More research is needed to test whether human-AR interactions can improve functioning and performance for vulnerable groups such as deployed soldiers. Overall, purchasing more HoloLens and research laptops increase CSUN s ability to train a significant minority, low-income student body on state-of-the-art AR technologiesÑ subsequently increasing their likelihood of entering STEM fields. Funding the purchase of AR equipment also allows the CSUN community to leverage early successes in AR research and shape how this new technology can improve soldiers mental capacities, emotional stability, team communication, and strengthen their social bonds both on and off the battlefield.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 25, 2021
- Source ID
- W911NF2110273
Entities
People
- Thomas Chan
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- California State University, Northridge
- Office of the Secretary of Defense