How Extended Reality Improves Defense Training: Case Study from V-Armed
Extended Reality | Business
5 minutes read
Extended Reality (XR) is profoundly transforming the way law enforcement and military personnel train for high-stakes situations. This immersive technology puts trainees into realistic, virtual (and often high-stakes) scenarios that they might face in the field, allowing them to run through the paces as many times as they need to establish confidence and muscle memory.
HTC’s partner V-Armed is deploying such immersive XR training solutions with VIVE headsets to police and military – with the goal of improving preparedness and saving lives. XR training is highly effective, with a study by the National Training Laboratory noting a 75% retention rate for XR training compared to 5% for lecture-style learning. And while the benefits of XR in the defense sector are evident (77% of respondents to HTC’s defense survey said that it increases safety and readiness for real-world challenges), It's worth exploring how the technology achieves such impressive results.
To this end, V-Armed released a case study that underscores the importance of XR for training realism and efficiency. The study notes that XR prepares officers and soldiers for situations they might seldom face but need to handle effectively — ranging from high-risk engagements to mental health crises – and how XR is uniquely suited for training thanks to a few key features.
According to V-Armed, effective XR training systems are characterized by several core elements:
Full Immersion: XR's fully immersive environments simulate reality to an extent that deeply engages trainees, making the training scenarios more impactful.
Multi-participant Engagement: The presence of virtual comrades in training scenarios heightens emotional involvement and enhances the realism of training exercises.
Realistic, Fluid Movement: The technology allows people to move realistically and naturally in XR, crucial for a convincing training experience.
Low Latency and High-Quality Environments: Minimal delay and high-quality visuals are essential to avoid disorientation and to maintain the realism of training scenarios, which enhances the effectiveness of the training.
These points are exemplified in V-Armed's XR training program with the Mexico City Police. The project uses wireless VIVE XR Elite headsets powered by HTC’s private 5G box “REIGN CORE”, setting a new standard in scalable, high-fidelity police training. Private 5G allows for expansive training sessions– with 10 XR headsets and participants at once – at low latency. It offers a flexible solution that can be physically brought to different locations for on-the-go training. Importantly, the combination of the VIVE XR Elite headset and REIGN CORE P5G enables multiple trainees to move smoothly and fluidly while immersed in virtual environments together.
The training scenarios are varied, and the setups can scale based on requirements. In a smaller setup at the I/ITSEC 2023 conference, HTC VIVE and V-Armed demonstrated the effectiveness of XR training with the VIVE XR Elite headset and REIGN CORE P5G. This showcase highlighted how XR can enhance tactical skills and decision-making under a high-pressure sniper/spotter scenario, and importantly how human-centric design (lightweight headsets with swappable batteries) can make training more comfortable for long sessions.
As XR technology evolves, HTC VIVE and V-Armed continue to lead in developing solutions that not only meet the current needs of law enforcement and military training but also anticipate and adapt to future requirements. Their efforts exemplify how innovative technology like XR can be used to benefit humanity. The ongoing integration of XR technologies is not just enhancing training outcomes; it is also reshaping the future of tactical preparation in essential service sectors.
