Given that tanks are designed to be armored combat vehicles, it means that openings on the vehicle are minimal to prevent bullets, sharpness, and other objects from passing through. This also means that driving a tank isn’t exactly the easiest job in the world since unlike a car with a huge windshield, visibility is a bit limited. However it seems that the Norwegian army has seen potential in the Oculus Rift and are reportedly testing it out with tank drivers.
The Norwegian Armed Forces are testing the Oculus Rift in conjunction with armored tanks. Drivers are able to effectively see through the body of a tank thanks to mounted cameras on the tank and wearing the Oculus Rift. Inside a tank with the hatch closed, tank drivers have a difficult time navigating. With cameras mounted on the sides of a tank and the use of the Oculus Rift, drivers can get a 360-degree video feed of the surroundings to essentially see through the tank’s armored body. Software wraps the spherical views from the cameras back to a normal view. Drivers with the Oculus Rift are able to see 185 degrees from each side of the vehicle and can look straight down in front of the vehicle.
