Fast Augmented Reality on the Edge (FARE)

Modeling, simulation and training (MS&T) is the backbone of the military’s ability to train the next generation of warfighters. The US Army is developing the Synthetic Training Environment (STE) for Force 2025 to “provide a cognitive, collective, multi-echelon training and mission rehearsal capability,” at the point of need. This is meant as a software solution to integrate with COTS/GOTS hardware for fully immersive training. Fundamentally, it leverages the latest AR/VR technologies for interactive training of unprecedented realism, i.e., bloodless combat virtually in-situ. While there are many aspects to this challenge, a central technical hurdle is to create the capability of streaming AR/VR content to a potentially dense number of participants (tens to thousands) that is as realistic as possible. The aim is to create a networked application with instant response. Its achievement relies critically on fast communications and proximal computing.