Closely watched defense contractor Anduril Industries has endorsed another technology-related company, while the Irvine-based firm’s founder, Palmer Luckey, has given the thumbs-up on his old firm’s latest virtual reality headset product.
Anduril, which is close to moving into new, larger headquarters near John Wayne Airport, said late last month it had partnered with Los Angeles-based Silvus Technologies, a maker of wireless communications systems used “in the world’s most challenging conditions for high-stakes industries like military, law enforcement, and broadcast.” Silvus received more than $60 million in government-related funding to develop its products, it said.
Silvus’ high bandwidth, meshed video and data communications systems will be incorporated into Anduril’s large-scale security surveillance systems.
“The work we do at Anduril is mission critical—there is no room for error,” said Matthew Steckman, head of corporate and government affairs at Anduril. “We chose to partner with Silvus because their radios are easy to configure, are reliable, and have a robust system design that is near unbreakable.”
Anduril’s first technology product is called Lattice. It uses a combination of radar sensor-clad surveillance towers, drones, virtual reality technology and artificial intelligence to monitor large areas and, in Anduril’s words, “allow warfighters, first responders and law enforcement to act quickly with the best information available.”
The product’s being tested along the U.S.-Mexico border to prevent unauthorized entry into the country.
Meanwhile, Luckey took to Twitter this month to vouch for Oculus Quest, Facebook’s latest virtual reality headset that will go on sale later this month.
“I endorse Oculus Quest,” tweeted Luckey, who founded Oculus in 2012 and sold it in 2014 to Facebook for $3 billion. He left the online media giant in 2017. He said he was fired.
“I am endorsing the product, not the company,” said Luckey in a follow-up tweet. “That said, I want Oculus to be successful. I want what is best for the VR industry, and the actions of a handful of executives should not outweigh that greater good.”
