Taufkirchen/Long Beach, USA, 09 July 2024 – HENSOLDT’s team SAMARitan (Situational Awareness Monitoring using Augmented Reality) has won this year's Auggie Award in the “Best Climate Change Solution” category at the AWE (Augmented World Expo) USA with their ground-breaking Extended Reality (XR) solution. Their innovative technology uses XR to improve situational and environmental awareness and thus avoid human-animal conflicts. Especially in the polar regions, where climate change has a dramatic impact on wildlife, SAMARitan is proving to be a lifesaver.
The prestigious Auggie Award, which is presented for exceptional innovations in the field of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), honoured the team for their technology, which effectively addresses the challenges of climate change. 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,” said Kübler.
True to the OneHENSOLDT idea, colleagues from different departments and locations worked together in their free time, tinkered, combined their skills, and exchanged ideas to develop an innovative solution for climate protection. “This joint endeavour 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 centre stage,” said Frank Kehrer, Innovation Manager.
HENSOLDT was already able to help protect polar bears in 2021 with a system installed via the Polar Bear International organisation. The pilot project “Polar Bear Warning Radar” (PoWR) was operated in the so called “polar bear capital of the world” Churchill, Manitoba, Canada on the shores of Hudson Bay. Unfortunately, due to a lack of sponsors, the system was only used for a short time. With the SPEXER 360 radar in particular, HENSOLDT could protect other species threatened with extinction.
SAMARitan collects data from various sensors such as radar and cameras in order to recognise wild animals at an early stage and transmit warnings to people. This data is displayed in AR glasses in real time so that users immediately receive relevant information such as the position, distance, and speed of the approaching animal. The AR goggles are operated using head movements and voice, which is particularly advantageous in cold regions where gloves must be worn. In collaboration with the ski goggle manufacturer REKKIE, it was possible to develop goggles that are suitable for the polar region. Polar Bear International has helped to ensure that the solution is suitable for this area of application.
SAMARitan could supply a wide range of target groups in the future:
- Residents of towns and camps in polar regions, tourists, tour guides and scouts.
- Research organisations such as Polar Bear International, which use the technology for scientific and safety purposes.
- Shipping companies that rely on the warnings for safe navigation through polar regions.
- Conservationists who want to prevent illegal hunting and shooting by improving situational awareness.
“The Living Planet Report 2022 emphasises that human-wildlife conflict is one of the biggest threats to animal species. SAMARitan offers a practical solution to mitigate these conflicts and ensure the survival of endangered species,” said Tobias Sorg, Team Member and Innovation Manager and Technical Lead Simulation at HENSOLDT. “The technology is flexible and can be used in various scenarios worldwide.” Lena Jäger, team member and Technical Lead SENSE (Sensor and Effector Network Simulation Environment) Framework, added: “We hope that our solution will enable us to make a significant contribution to climate protection in the future.”
Sustainability
Safety forms the basis for a sustainable future – HENSOLDT is equally committed to both. The company takes its responsibility as a sustainable, local business very seriously and has set itself ambitious goals for emissions avoidance, resource-conserving business and responsible corporate governance.
About HENSOLDT
HENSOLDT is a leading company in the European defence industry with a global reach. Based in Taufkirchen near Munich, the company develops complete sensor solutions for defence and security applications. As a system integrator, HENSOLDT offers platform-independent, networked solutions. Being a technology leader, the company is also driving forward the development of defence electronics and optronics and is continuously expanding its portfolio based on innovative approaches to data fusion, artificial intelligence and cyber security. In 2023, HENSOLDT achieved a turnover of 1.85 billion euros. Following the acquisition of ESG GmbH, the company employs around 8,000 people. HENSOLDT is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in the MDAX.
Press contact
Carina Engelhardt
Tel.: +49 (0) 7364 9557 531
Mail: Carina.engelhardt@hensoldt.net
