Army seeks information on integrating artificial intelligence into IVAS

The Army is seeking information about industry's capability to develop and integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning features into its Integrated Visual Augmentation System, according to a request for information issued Jan. 19.

IVAS, one of the Army’s modernization priorities, is a militarized version of Microsoft’s HoloLens virtual reality headset and is intended to provide soldiers with movement of information, high-level processing, and augmented-reality information.

The request asks for industry capabilities in about 30 areas related to artificial intelligence and machine learning. They include AI-enabled target detection algorithms, battlefield data processing, mixed-reality solider interface, and battlefield language translation.

Responses are due by Feb. 18.

Congress in the fiscal year 2022 defense authorization bill cut $213 million from the IVAS budget and withheld 25% of approved money until the Army secretary submits a report on “system reliability, network adequacy, power duration, terrain data sufficiency, and plans for iterative improvements.”

The Army last year awarded Microsoft $21.9 billion to build the system.