- AI-powered in-glass device to enhance situational awareness and command decision-making for combatants

- Cooperation to expand into small-unit command and control, defense networks and AI safety

A VR-based immersive tactical training exercise at the Korea Military Academy. [Provided by ETRI]
A VR-based immersive tactical training exercise at the Korea Military Academy. [Provided by ETRI]

Development of an "AI in-glass" device — a pair of combat glasses that acts as a soldier's eyes and ears, processing battlefield conditions in real time and assisting with decision-making — is now moving forward in earnest. Once developed and fielded, the technology is expected to significantly boost combat effectiveness on future battlefields.

The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) said it will sign an MOU with the Korea Military Academy on Tuesday at ETRI's headquarters to pursue joint research on AI-based future defense technology, establish military operational concepts and conduct field demonstrations.

The agreement aims to combine ETRI's AI and information and communications technology expertise with the Korea Military Academy's military and tactical knowledge, advancing cutting-edge AI developed in the laboratory into technology applicable to actual military missions.

At the heart of the initiative is ETRI's "AI in-glass technology development for personal AI agents," a strategic research project the institute launched this year.

AI in-glass refers to technology that integrates AI into a wearable eyeglass-type device. The AI continuously processes what the user sees and hears, displaying relevant information directly in the wearer's field of vision in real time.

Applied to defense, the technology would allow combatants to quickly identify nearby threats and operational information during a mission. For commanders, it would aggregate field intelligence gathered by multiple soldiers and present it in consolidated form, enabling command decisions within tight time constraints — functioning, in effect, as a personal AI staff officer.

A particularly notable aspect is that the technology extends defense command-and-control capabilities — previously concentrated at the battalion level and above — down to company-level and smaller units, as well as to individual soldiers.

ETRI will develop four core technologies in an integrated effort: spatial intelligence for precise recognition of surrounding spaces and objects; a personal AI agent that delivers information tailored to the user's situation; a low-power, high-resolution display that renders information within the field of view; and eyeglass-type AR device hardware paired with a portable AI computing unit.

The Korea Military Academy will contribute its expertise in small-unit tactics and command procedures to help establish military operational concepts and identify user requirements. It will also support field demonstrations and evaluation of the developed technologies using its training facilities and related resources.

Microdisplay technology for integration into the AI in-glass device. [Provided by ETRI]
Microdisplay technology for integration into the AI in-glass device. [Provided by ETRI]

The two institutions plan to expand their cooperation beyond AI glasses to cover the broader landscape of future defense AI, including small-unit command and control, defense networks and manned-unmanned teaming systems.

They will also jointly develop technology to ensure the safety and reliability of AI systems, guarding against AI misjudgments or faulty information affecting real-world mission execution. The work will focus on verifying AI-generated assessments and supporting human operators in making final decisions safely.

"By combining ETRI's AI and ICT capabilities with the Korea Military Academy's military expertise, we will build defense AI technology that makes a tangible contribution to our military's mission performance and combat effectiveness — spanning support for future combatants, command and control, and defense networks," ETRI President Park Se-ung said.


nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com