The future of virtual reality might not be consumer-oriented. There has been a notable increase in use cases which will never be accessible to people on the street. The British military illustrates this point perfectly. They are investing over $1.25m into headsets depicting hostile virtual reality environments. Another worthwhile training environment for soldiers.
More Military-oriented VR Training
It is not the first time new use cases for VR technology involve military training. Ensuring soldiers survive on the battlefield is not straightforward. It usually requires thorough training. More specifically, there are only so many exercises one can go through. Preparing for real-life combat is not possible without going into the field. With VR technology, that narrative becomes a lot different all of a sudden.
For the British military, it is an option worth exploring. A purchase of VR headsets from a US developer will be made in the coming weeks. These headsets will be used to create battle conditions. Simulating real-world combat in an immersive environment will improve the overall range of training exercises. It will also help cut down on training costs in the long run.
Brigadier Bobby Walton-Knight CBE adds:
‘Innovations such as Virtual Reality offer immersive and flexible training, and this pilot is pushing the boundaries to explore how we might make best use of it. The technology could save the military a significant amounts of money in the long-term as it removes costs that range from transporting soldiers to training grounds as well as the costs of equipment. ‘
The success of this new venture will remain to be determined. UK Military officials are not exploring options in just virtual reality. A similar initiative involving Mixed Reality will be explored later this year. Soldiers will be able to interact with physical objects. Additionally, the avatars will replicate facial features and body shapes. It is an immersive approach to training soldiers without putting their lives on the line.
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