Virtual Reality for Army Training Simulators

Virtual Reality for Army Training Simulators

FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- Paratroopers of 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, conduct simulated missions July 26, 2012 using the Dismounted Soldier Training System, a virtual reality environment with unlimited mission possibilities.

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Military training is facing a revolution when it comes to incorporating developing technologies that can improve performance on the battlefield. Virtual Reality training programs are one of the solutions that modern technology offers the military effort.
A British software developer’s been given a £1 million contract to explore how virtual reality can be integrated into UK soldier training, according to forces.net.
The Virtual Reality in Land Training pilot has been created by Bohemia Interactive Simulations, a global developer of military and training software.
The aim is to enable British troops to experience a wide range of hostile simulated scenarios that aren’t easy to recreate on a training ground.
Alongside high-resolution virtual reality headsets, mixed reality will allow soldiers to interact with objects and avatar customization, which can replicate faces and body shapes so users can recognize fellow soldiers.
The system will allow soldiers to see and interact with physical objects, place troops in the middle of an urban firefight, intense crowd control situation or within a building filled with enemy soldiers.
They will also have the chance to re-run, analyse and demonstrate the most effective approaches to real-life challenges.
Army Head of Training Capability, Brigadier Bobby Walton-Knight said:
“The Army has a reputation for world-class training which prepares our people for demanding and complex operations.
“Our training continually develops and so we constantly look for the best technology to make it as effective as possible.
“Innovations such as virtual reality offer immersive and flexible training and this pilot is pushing the boundaries to explore how we might make the best use of it.”
At the end of the program, recommendations will be put forward on how to best exploit the new technology for soldier training.