DARPA Wants Contact Lenses to Turn Real-Life Combat Into Call of Duty 4

The problem with cool strap-on heads-up displays a few lucky soldiers get to use on the battlefield today is that they're bulky affairs that make them look like half-assed cyborgs. Plus, the interface is limited. The Pentagon wants to develop contact lenses that'll put "first-person-shooter-type video game" graphics on top the soldiers' vision. Yes, they want to make real-life combat the realest Halo match ever.

gizmodo.com...
www.fbo.gov...

While I find this intriguing, I think there are better ways to spend our tax dollars on.

Anything to get the kids to join. Disgusting how the military tries to appeal to them in everyway.

What a half-arsed article.

First-person quality graphics huh? Sounds like a disadvantage to me.

Shattered OUT...

reply to post by Agent Styx


I don't think this is realistic at all. I think that there would be incredible controversey. Too much so to ever implement such a system.

Even so if this is legit I can sort of see their reasoning behind it, the fact of the matter is if it works no one is really going to care about how the people who do it see it, as long as they aren't totally desensitized to the killing. And it may work very, very well. This is the current generation and what we are good at, while DARPA might have some twisted ideas I must say it has some merit as an effective system.

I don't support it, I am merely pointing out its potential.

Take it from someone who plays Halo 3 and COD4 an hour a night (me) and is pretty good at it too.

[edit on 21-3-2008 by BlackWidow23]

I wonder what kind of HUD elements they would use? Also how would one turn it on or off? Interesting if someone could get night vision or infrared working on it, but as I said, how would you turn it on or off? Or to get it connected to weapons systems, gotta have a ammunition display.

Maybe the lenses will be linked to a ultra satellite, that can pick up people and then put up a indicator above the enemy. This will also indicate whether it is a friend or foe. Your fellow soldiers could wear a device to show you they are friendly. also have trajectory makers for you to aim grenade launchers and such. This all means to be a more effective combatant.

This to me just proves that the powers that be are not at all concerned with peace. It's pretty obvious that the establishment are preparing for war and using our money to do it. Spending our money to develop tools to kill people more efficiently. How sick can you get!

I want these people gone, I want my money spent on cleaning up the worlds messes, not increasing them. I stopped paying taxes 8 yrs ago and will never pay these scum one penny again.

How can they be trusted, let alone supported? I just wish everyone going to the poling booths would vote NO! No I don't want you controlling what happens in my world.

Originally posted by Optix
Maybe the lenses will be linked to a ultra satellite, that can pick up people and then put up a indicator above the enemy. This will also indicate whether it is a friend or foe. Your fellow soldiers could wear a device to show you they are friendly. also have trajectory makers for you to aim grenade launchers and such. This all means to be a more effective combatant.

Will they get 'health packs' too?...lol Re-spawn after being killed?...Can they turn the game off when they've had enough?

reply to post by ANOK

No, its war after all...I was just speculating.

reply to post by Optix


Oh I know, I was just trying to making a point I guess. What else do you expect from an anti-war nut-job...lol

And I'm the worst kind of anti-war nut-job, I've been there. We're like x-smokers I guess...

www.vaiw.org...

I swear to God, I came up with this idea right before I Fell asleep one night, about a year or two ago.

Bothers me a bit.

I just had a thought, why COD4 when they have their own 'Americas Army'?

Well kinda explains why that was released for free huh? Anyone play that? It's a really up to date game and would make someone a lot of cash if it was put out in stores. Well now they already have a lot of potential soldiers who have played Americas Army, and would probably do better in combat if it looked the same as the game they are used to.

My question is what war are they planning where they would expect to need this? It's obvious they're not making it to promote peace... Is there any hope for the future left?

reply to post by Agent Styx


just a shame it wont respawn the player, i mean
the unlucky person who gets shot.

They could always vat-grow soldier bodies and create a memory-downloading software to "respawn" the soldier into a new body back in the base every time he was killed.

I'm sure the troops in the field would tell you that they are already have first person. Perhaps DARPA can create the 3rd person view like Gears of War or Resident Evil 4. I'm sure the troops love fighting that way. A camera on a pole tied around your waist. Your contacts is interfaced with the camera. It gives the troops advantage with the camera overlooking the obstacles that you are hiding behind.



The only advantage it would give me is that the HUD tells me how many rounds and grenades I have as well as my health.

I think people are overlooking the psychological aspect of this idea. If the battle field looks like a game you're used to playing then I would think the soldier would be more confident and less afraid?

But of course this could make soldiers take more risks, which of course is what the battlefield leaders would want.

reply to post by ANOK



This pretty much sums it up.

reply to post by deltaboy


hehe good one. It's so obvious isn't it? Get people hooked on video games and then offer them something more realistic...