U.S. Company Launches Augmented Reality Glasses for Military Use

Rivet Industries has announced the start of production of a new line of augmented reality (AR) glasses, Hard Spec, designed for military and industrial users.

According to a report by Defense Connect, the company says the AR glasses are tailored for mission-specific tasks and aim to address challenges faced by defense personnel and technical operators in unpredictable environments.

It is expected that smart glasses will become increasingly popular as a possible replacement for smartphones and other devices in the civilian market, despite existing limitations in terms of cost and battery life.

Hard Spec integrates microphones, cameras, video recording, headphones, AI-powered translation, voice assistants, and AR displays.
Future updates are expected to expand capabilities such as object, landmark, and facial recognition, along with contextual information overlays.

“Rivet Hard Spec technologies firmly link people to their tasks and supporting resources for reliable results even in the most unpredictable conditions,” the company said in a statement. “Tools that are uncomfortable, bulky, and complicated get left behind. Soldiers, operators, and technicians don’t need more burdens.”

“We’re ensuring every soldier is equipped with situational awareness, manoeuvre, and targeting capabilities that mesh with squad and command networks. The result is an ultra-clear, shared understanding of the battlespace and decentralized engagement decisions,” the company assures.

The announcement follows ongoing efforts by the U.S. Army to modernize its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), developed in partnership with Microsoft.

IVAS is based on the HoloLens headset and aims to enhance situational awareness by displaying the positions of friendly forces, including individual soldiers.

In October 2024, the Army confirmed plans to upgrade IVAS before large-scale field testing. Improvements will include enhanced low-light cameras, better focusing systems, and software upgrades for improved clarity and usability.