It is reported that Microsoft's military smart goggles have been poorly reviewed by soldiers: they will expose the wearer's position.

CTOnews.com In 2021, the U.S. Army awarded Microsoft a $22 billion contract to build HoloLens-like smart goggles for its soldiers, called Project IVAS. Business Insider reports that the contract is behind schedule and plagued by quality and performance issues. According to an Army report, the device received poor reviews from soldiers in a recent test.

According to excerpts from an Army report received by insiders, Microsoft's smart goggles designed for the U.S. military failed a recent Army test, with one tester saying the device was dangerous for soldiers.

CTOnews.com has learned that one tester said in an excerpt from an Army report dictated to BusinessInsider: "These devices will kill us." The tester refers to the light produced by the goggles when activated, which may allow enemy soldiers to discover their position.

At a recent "demo," the device failed four out of six evaluations, according to a Microsoft employee briefed on the situation. According to the employee, criticism included that the device's display emitted light that could be seen hundreds of meters away, which could reveal the wearer's location. The testers also found that wearing goggles restricted the soldier's vision, including peripheral vision, and that the size and weight of the equipment restricted the soldier's movement.

An Army spokesman said the combat tests so far were generally considered successful and the Army remained committed to the IVAS program. Brigadier General Christopher D. Schneider said,"Emerging results indicate that the program was successful on most Army evaluation criteria. However, the results also identified deficiencies in IVAS and areas for additional improvement that the Army will address. "