Munich-based defense industry company HENSOLDT’s SAMARitan (Situational Awareness Monitoring using Augmented Reality) team has been awarded this year's Auggie Award in the “Best Climate Change Solution” category at the AWE USA for their pioneering Extended Reality (XR) solution, the company said in a press release Wednesday.
The advanced technology leverages XR to enhance awareness of surroundings and environmental conditions, helping to prevent human-animal conflicts.
SAMARitan is particularly crucial in polar regions, where climate change significantly affects wildlife, making it a critical tool for saving lives.
The esteemed Auggie Award, recognizing outstanding innovations in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), celebrated the team's technology for effectively tackling climate change challenges.
Christian Kübler, Staff Engineer at HENSOLDT Optronics, accepted the award on behalf of the team.
“I am proud of what we have achieved and accomplished together as a team. The extraordinary teamwork in our team of eight shows what it means to drive innovation with passion,” he said.
“This joint endeavor is a shining example of true ingenuity and the passion that HENSOLDT employees feel for their work. The team shows what can be achieved when curiosity and creativity take center stage,” said Frank Kehrer, Innovation Manager, for his part.
In 2021, HENSOLDT collaborated with Polar Bear International to deploy the “Polar Bear Warning Radar” (PoWR) system in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada, known as the "polar bear capital of the world," along the shores of Hudson Bay.
This pilot project aimed to protect polar bears but faced limited operational time due to insufficient funding from sponsors. Despite this setback, HENSOLDT's radar technology, particularly the SPEXER 360 radar, holds promise for safeguarding other endangered species.
SAMARitan, utilizing data from radar and cameras, identifies wild animals early and issues timely alerts to individuals. This information is relayed in real time through AR glasses, providing users with immediate details such as the animal's position, distance, and speed.
Operated via head movements and voice commands, the AR goggles are ideal for cold climates where gloves are essential. Through collaboration with ski goggle manufacturer REKKIE, specialized goggles suitable for polar regions were developed. Polar Bear International played a crucial role in ensuring the solution's applicability in these challenging environments.
