Distance Technologies Announces a New Head-Mounted Always-on Visual intelligence System for Defence Vehicle Operators

The First in a New Line of Field Operator HUD (FOH) Devices, Represents the Next-Generation of Visual Augmentation Systems That Will Supercharge Perception and Awareness on the Battlefield; the System Minimises Cognitive Visual Burden and is Currently Advancing Through Iterative R&D and Field Trials in Multiple NATO Countries.

20 January, 2025 - Helsinki and Farnborough - Distance Technologies™ - the leading developer of glasses-free, AI-enhanced visual augmentation solutions for defence applications - today announced the newest in its expanding lineup of intelligent visual enhancement solutions for use by a range of military vehicles from light utility to main battle tanks in tactical battlefield scenarios. 

The Field Operator HUD (FOH) integrates patented Distance hardware with a sovereign HUD operating system and AI-assisted data processing to deliver augmented situational awareness for defence vehicle operators. Following successful field trials with military users in both the UK and Finland, FOH is designed to enhance operational awareness, improve survivability and manage visual workload. This is achieved through a mission-focused, operator-driven interface while maintaining a lightweight and cost-efficient form factor suitable for wide deployment.

The system is the first HUD purpose-built to address the operational requirement for combining C2 and enhanced visual perception with multiple sensor inputs in complex land combat environments. By integrating relevant sensor data directly into the driver’s field of view, FOH supports situational awareness and timely decision-making without introducing unnecessary visual clutter or distraction from primary driving and mission tasks.

The need for synthesising multiple data streams and visualising battlefield data presents a distinct tactical advantage only when it does not overwhelm the operator with too much information - as such, the new FOH is designed with a minimalist, mission-first modular UI refined through iterative field use testing. The device integrates only the most mission-critical data from existing vehicle and soldier systems and sensors - this delivers a clear, unified and shared operational picture ensuring the completion of both mission goals and soldier safety.

Effective both inside and outside the vehicle, Distance’s unique computational see-through optics allow for natural comfort, awareness and safety while the FOH’s modular C2 system integration works with existing platforms such as ATAK and others. Deliberately designed for presenting a low cognitive load interface, it works in both medium- to far-field visualisation scenarios and is optimised for vehicle-mounted and vehicle-vicinity operations. 

The combatant advantages of the FOH include:

• Tactical mobility and system interoperability - Employs lightweight, high-definition computational AR optics with robust wired and wireless integration across vehicle and soldier systems. Maintains resilient connectivity, positioning, and data services in GPS-denied and contested environments, ensuring sustained situational awareness and mission effectiveness for mounted forces.
• Always-on visual intelligence - Provides continuous, mission-critical situational awareness for mounted and dismounted operators. Integrates real-time Blue Force Tracking, C4ISR data, and tactical systems such as ATAK—without diverting attention from the mission.
• Multi-Spectral See-Through Vision (Sensor Fusion AR) - Seamlessly integrates with the vehicle's sensor suite to provide multi-spectral and thermal overlay capabilities, delivering a 'see-through' perception of the operational environment via advanced data sensor fusion.
• Automated Detection, Classification & Tracking - Applies AI-enabled processing to fuse, correlate and prioritise inputs from the full spectral sensor suite. Automatically detects, classifies, and tracks objects of interest, presenting only tactically relevant information to reduce cognitive load and accelerate the OODA loop.
• Unmanned Systems Integration (UAS C2 & ISR) - Supports command, control and exploitation of unmanned aerial systems through integrated AI analytics or direct video and geospatial data feeds. Enables concurrent access by multiple operators, supporting shared situational awareness and coordinated unit-level operations.
• Universal NVG Integration: Distance Field Operator HUD is engineered for seamless physical integration with standard-issue Night Vision Goggles (NVGs), enabling uninterrupted AR operations in low-light environments. Instantly retrofits legacy analog night vision with digital tactical overlays, ensuring operators maintain critical data access and situational awareness regardless of lighting conditions or time of day. 

Designed specifically to solve the challenging requirements of tactical battle use, the new FOH is expected to be immediately available for field trial use by the end of Q1 2026 for both NATO defence forces and allied Nations. Further availability in 2027 is expected through a range of international defence Prime contractors.

“The Distance Field Operator HUD is the sovereign Soldier Borne Mission Control available to all NATO and allied forces, offering tactical crews a wearable AR system that is as light as it is lethal. By delivering unrivaled visual acuity and seamless sensor fusion, we are giving allied forces the ability to see through the fog of war and make split-second decisions that save lives,” said Urho Konttori, CEO and co-founder of Distance Technologies. “We are very excited by the enthusiastic response from NATO defence forces trialing our SBMC solution and we are very much looking forward to shipping the first units together with our partners to allied armed forces during 2026.”