US army and marines to get futuristic ‘Halo’ style helmets

The US army is testing a 'Halo-style' gen-next helmet to keep soldiers and marines safe on the battlefield. 

Researchers at Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center have designed the Helmet Electronics and Display System-Upgradeable Protection, or HEaDS-UP, to provide mounted and dismounted troops with a more fully integrated headgear system. 

HEaDS-UP has focused on developing a Technical Data Package of design options and trade-offs to build a modular, integrated headgear system. 

Some of these technologies include: improved ballistic materials; non-ballistic impact liner materials and designs; see-through and projected heads-up display technologies; better eye, face and hearing protection; and communications.  According to Don Lee, project engineer in the Headgear Thrust Area of Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, or NSRDEC, the advances resulted from the collaboration between NSRDEC and the Army Research Laboratory.  

The modular prototypes were designed to allow war-fighters to adapt the headgear to the mission and to work harmoniously ‘with other existing, fielded technologies - your body armour, your (hydration pack), your protective eye-wear, and then being able to accomplish common skills and tasks - getting up, getting in a prone position, entering a vehicle, exiting the vehicle, sighting a weapon, and stuff like that,’ Lee said. 

‘We've done some cognitive studies, as well, looking at head-mounted displays, see-through displays, the integration factor of the display,’ Lee said.