January 13, 2021 – Octo, a provider of technology and IT solutions for government clients, has announced that it has been awarded a spot on the US Army’s RS3 92 Situational Awareness and Augmented Reality Technologies contract to provide machine learning and deep learning support to the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System program (IVAS). Octo will partner with security and defence contractor QinetiQ to work on the contract.
The IVAS contract, which went to tender back in August 2018, is part of the US Army’s plan to produce innovative solutions that help to accelerate lethal defensive and offensive capabilities of Army warfighters by utilizing innovative components, including the use of augmented reality (AR).
The IVAS platform is billed as a “fight-rehearse-train” system, meaning its function on the battlefield is priority, but its AR capabilities, such as real-time mapping, will make it useful for training and rehearsing operations anywhere at any time. As a result, IVAS offers a single platform that allows soldiers to fight, rehearse, and train, improving their sensing, decision making, target acquisition, and target engagement through a next generation, 24/7 situational awareness tool.
“Octo has a longstanding relationship with the Army, and we are excited to offer AI as part of their mission solutions,” said Rob Albritton, Senior Director of Octo’s AI Center of Excellence. “Enhancing soldier lethality and situational awareness is an Army priority, and IVAS serves as the centerpiece. IVAS will operationalize AI in ways the Army could only imagine two years ago. Supporting our close combat force with emerging technology they can use in the field is an honor.”
Octo’s Chief Technology Officer Sujey Edward said, “Octo has a long history of introducing emerging technology into Federal Government agencies, and Rob is helping us lead the way by giving the Army the kind of advanced tools they need to better protect their warfighters and our nation.”
He continued, “Octo is serious about AI. We have the experience and the people to make AI solutions happen for our Federal Government customers. We’re proud to have Rob bringing with him the level of expertise the armed forces depend on, and we look forward to further supporting them by providing tactical edge AI solutions.”
Mehul Sanghani, Octo’s CEO, added: “Winning contracts like IVAS is part of our focus on emerging technologies as a means of helping the government leverage these newly available solutions to maximize mission effectiveness,” added Mehul Sanghani, Octo’s CEO.
The company stated that the award demonstrates Octo’s artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities and solutions, however did not disclose a monetary amount for the award. For more information on the US Army’s IVAS contract, please click here.
Image / video credit: US Army / YouTube
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.