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19 December 2024

Spatial Computing: Redefining the Reality of Future Warfare

Shah Muhammad

Imagine being transported into a world where battle plans unfold in vibrant holograms, and strategy feels like second nature. Back in 2013, Ender’s Game dazzled audiences with its futuristic take on soldier training – using breathtaking holographic simulations to prepare for a fight against an unstoppable enemy. Fast forward to today, and we’re already stepping into a similar reality. Games like Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon let players dive into virtual battlefields, plotting moves and outmaneuvering enemies with augmented precision. What once seemed like pure science fiction is now shaping the tools of modern conflict and decision-making. This phenomenon of blending the physical and virtual world through an interactive interface is part of ‘spatial computing’ that allows machines to comprehend our physical environment – a combination of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) technologies.

VR and AR are no longer just buzzwords; they’ve become essential tools in modern warfare. VR immerses soldiers entirely into alternative virtual environments, creating hyper-realistic scenarios for simulated training or mission planning. AR, on the other hand, enhances the real world by overlaying additional virtual layers – be it visual, acoustic, or haptic – on the physical environment, sharpening the sensory perception of soldiers, sailors, and pilots. In 2019, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) trained for tunnel warfare against Hezbollah without physically being underground. The trainings were conducted through VR headsets that transported the soldiers to a simulated tunnel environment, and may have been instrumental vis-á-vis IDF’s mission planning for subsequent military operations against Hezbollah.

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