--- title: "Congress Rejects Funding the Military’s Microsoft AR Goggles Because They Made Soldiers Sick" description: "Congress has reportedly rejected the Army's request for $400 million to fund the purchase of more Microsoft AR Hololens goggles." date: "2023-01-13" modified: "2023-01-13" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/congress-rejects-funding-military-microsoft-ar-goggle" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "augmented reality" - "microsoft" - "the digest" - "us army" --- # Congress Rejects Funding the Military’s Microsoft AR Goggles Because They Made Soldiers Sick ![Congress has reportedly rejected the Army's request for $400 million to fund the purchase of more Microsoft AR Hololens goggles.]() *\Image: US Army\* ## Rejected Funding Last week, the US Army [announced]() it was ordering a redesign of its flawed and extremely expensive Microsoft mixed reality headsets. But, [according to *Bloomberg*](), the military may struggle to finance such a venture, with Congress reportedly rejecting the Army's request for $400 million — which would come out of the government's $1.75 billion funding bill — to buy up to 6,900 pairs of the goggles. Lawmakers are now forcing the Army and Microsoft to go back to the drawing board to come up with an entirely new version for a mere $40 million. It's a blow to the Army's already troubled attempts to develop and test a version of Microsoft's HoloLens headsets designed for the battlefield. According to *Bloomberg*'s sources, tests found that the headsets fell well short of expectations, and gave recruits "mission-affecting physical impairments" ranging from headaches to eyestrain and nausea. Worse yet, the Army had been planning to spend an exorbitant amount on the headsets — $21.9 billion over ten years for up to 121,000 devices — and has already ordered 5,000 goggles for training purposes. ## Benny Hill Theme Previous iterations of the headsets have already drawn plenty of criticism, with [soldiers claiming]() that they "would have gotten us killed" according to an [internal document obtained by *Insider*]() last year. The culprit: a bright, easily distinguishable light attached to the front of the headset that could've easily given up the soldier's location. Last summer, tests of a previous version of the headset showed that 80 percent of infantry soldiers were literally made sick after wearing the headset for less than three hours, according to a summary compiled by the Pentagon. And that's not to mention a litany of other failures of essential functions, according to *Bloomberg*. In short, Congress has clearly realized that the Army's attempts to give soldiers a leg up with augmented reality goggles has backfired so far and is forcing officials to try something new instead. **READ MORE:** [Microsoft Combat Goggles Falter as Congress Says No to Buying More]() \[*Bloomberg*\] **More on the goggles:** *[US Army Buying Microsoft AR After Soldiers Said They “Would Have Gotten Us Killed”]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()