MEDIA REMINDER: Project Update press conference set for TODAY at UND’s Tech Accelerator

Sen. John Hoeven, UND President Andy Armacost will brief media on project to develop augmented reality system for Humvees

TODAY, Friday, Nov. 19, at noon, UND will host a press conference to update the media on a major ongoing project: the University’s contract to develop augmented reality (AR) systems for Humvees, the Army’s multipurpose ground vehicles.

U.S. Sen. John Hoeven will speak and answer questions at the press conference, as will UND President Andy Armacost; Mark Askelson, executive director of UND’s Research Institute for Autonomous Systems (RIAS); and Will Goodman, Vice President of Government Relations for Applied Research Associates, UND’s partner on the project.

The press conference will be held at noon TODAY in Room 1500 (the Research Space) at the UND Tech Accelerator building, 4201 James Ray Drive in Grand Forks.

This story in UND Today offers useful background on the project. The Humvee that’s pictured in the story will be present at the press conference.

The multi-phase, multimillion dollar research initiative wrapped up Phase 1 on Nov. 15, and already has started Phase 2, RIAS reports. In addition, UND has secured the third phase of this research initiative as of Nov. 1.

This research is bringing new-age technology to a platform that entered service in 1985. With the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle or HMMWV – called Humvee colloquially – expected to remain in service for another 20 or more years, it is imperative that today’s newest technology be integrated to ensure the vehicle continues to stand the test of time.

This project is a cooperative effort between several departments on campus at UND, including:

• RIAS
• Aerospace
• Computer Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Psychology

As mentioned above, UND’s research is being carried out in partnership with Applied Research Associates (ARA), a research-and-engineering company with primary research locations in Randolph, Vt., and Raleigh, N.C.

ARA is a significant partner in this research venture and brings years of AR experience to the table in the form of helmet-mounted systems for soldiers. Videos that show some of the capabilities of these systems are available here.

For more information, contact Naomi Hansen, communications director for UND’s Vice President for Research & Economic Development, at naomi.hansen@UND.edu or 701.777.7000.

High-resolution photo and caption:

Humvee delivery (5 MB): John Mihelich (L), UND’s vice president for research and economic development, stands with Mark Askelson, executive director of UND’s Research Institute for Autonomous Systems, by the trailer as UND accepts delivery of a High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle or Humvee in September 2020. UND is using the vehicle as a platform for developing an augmented-reality system for Humvees. UND archive photo.

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