New Orleans firm receives a $11 million military VR grant
American troops have been testing a new kind of simulated pistol manufactured by a New Orleans firm, which seems genuine in a virtual reality setting but doesn’t fire actual bullets, as military training becomes more sophisticated.
The Central Business District-based company Haptech Inc. now has three military contracts for a combined $11 million.
The business has patented a method for producing realistic recoil on pistols and machine guns, among other lifelike weaponry of various sizes. It has also patented a mechanism to alter genuine weapons for use in live training sessions and virtual reality.
Co-founder and CEO of Haptech Inc., Kyle Monti, opened the company’s office on a recent Friday by touching a scanner with his finger. Wires and hardware were arranged in sections with labels as 3D printers beeped.
At Fort Liberty in North Carolina, the business recently gave Army personnel a demonstration of the new technology. According to Monti, the majority of the input was favourable and being used to modify the dummy weaponry.
According to Monti, the fact that their military training technology is entirely electric sets them apart.
When the battery-operated device fires, a little motor that produces a push and pull force is controlled by it. Prior to its creation, air pressure systems mostly drove the recoil action of imitation guns, according to Monti.
He founded Haptech in 2014 and received a patent for the Electromagnetic Recoil System in 2012.
The Haptech blasters need no ammunition, which increases their safety. Similar to a video game, soldiers aim the toy guns at a screen, and sensors track where the bullets fall. Without a screen, soldiers may still employ these simulated weapons in real-world training situations since the sensors can still detect training statistics.
According to Monti, when troops used blank bullets in the past, they sometimes confused them with real ones.
The company is not manufacturing real weapons, Monti said. He said that the team has now put the battery where the magazine is supposed to be and the motor is where the chamber would be.
Soldiers must take into consideration the movement of the rifle while aiming, which calls for a realistic recoil. Additionally, sensors built inside the imitation weapons monitor how troops grip and discharge them. Military authorities may then determine how to improve aim more accurately.
Time and money are also saved by technology. According to Monti, fixing the system doesn’t take a lot of time or equipment since it’s entirely battery-operated.All that needs to be done when something goes wrong is retraining. Monti said that no further money or equipment was needed.
Although Haptech does not manufacture actual guns, it is able to transform genuine firearms into virtual reality teaching tools. Soldiers may utilise a kit consisting of three easily assembled pieces to secure their genuine weapons during training.
According to Monti, Haptech has developed the majority of its current technology for the Army. However, the business also provides the Marine Corps with training technologies. Previously, Haptech also provided training technologies to the Navy.
