U.S. Navy Has A New Helmet With Technology Like ‘Iron Man’ For Divers

The U.S. Navy has taken a few tips from Hollywood on designing a new helmet for its divers, implementing some serious technology like that seen in the movie Iron Man.

It may seem hard to believe, but the Navy probably got its hands on Tony Stark’s first prototype for his Iron Man helmet.

While the helmet won’t help Navy specialists or elite operatives to fight enemies, it will help the divers to communicate via an HD resolution display which will allow the Navy divers to send, receive, and show images and videos during missions in addition to other operations, according to News Everyday.

“By building this HUD directly inside the dive helmet instead of attaching a display on the outside, it can provide a capability similar to something from an Iron Man movie,” Navy Engineer Dennis Gallagher said via a U.S. Navy press release. “You have everything you visually need right there within the helmet.”

The Navy helmet is actually an augmented reality heads-up display that will continuously update the diver about important information as the diver goes about business as a U.S. Navy specialist in real time.

This high tech helmet is really called the Divers Augmented Vision Display (DAVD), and it looks a bit more like a Minion than anything from Iron Man. However, there is nothing funny about this gadget.

Basically, the new helmet in the Navy is a bit like a virtual reality game set, albeit a very expensive and crucial one. A press release from the Navy explained, “the DAVD system places the information right before diver’s eyes with a look and feel comparable to a point-of-view video game display.”

While the Navy diver technology is still in testing, there could be future upgrades to the helmet which could be extremely beneficial to divers, like the ability to see in zero visibility underwater, according to TechnoBuffalo.

The Navy recognizes why this technology could be powerful in several situations for its divers.

“Having real-time operational data enables them to be more effective and safe in their missions—providing expanded situational awareness and increased accuracy in navigating to a target such as a ship, downed aircraft, or other objects of interest.”

This type of futuristic, Iron Man-like capability would be useful for recovery and rescue operations that the U.S. Navy plays a crucial role in throughout the world.

The Navy will also be able to use the technology to keep in constant contact to direct its divers safely and accurately, giving the divers access to sonar-based location data and other important information quickly.

While there are other types of this technology available for professionals working above the water, such as the technology used in fighter jets, this type of highly useful machinery featuring wireless capabilities within a pressurized suit has previously only been a dream for the Navy, according to Tech Crunch. Now, it’s just a matter of time before the wearable tech will be a part of operations within the Navy.

It’s fairly obvious that the Navy isn’t the only group which could benefit from this amazing development. Too often it is easy for divers to become disoriented underwater because of low visibility, poor communication, and other challenges. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, where the Navy helmet is being developed, is working to eventually offer the diver helmets commercially and to first responders.

[Photo by Joel Ryan/Invision/AP]