Virtual reality simulations can prepare users for intense combat situations, hazardous environments, and to face the threat of death.
It can coach a combatant to shoot a target while in the air, hanging from a helicopter and a naval officer to bring a submarine into the harbor. And it does so through specialized enactments in safe, controlled environments, with instant feedback and repetitive instruction.
“The systems provide 24/7 training in an immersive virtual environment that’s as close to the real thing as possible,” said Joe Vilasi, manager of business development at Binghamton Simulator Company.
The military is responsible for most of the technological advancements in virtual reality.
“The military, more than other industries, has proven their case about saving lives, saving costs and improving training using virtual reality,” said Marc Foglia, president of NVIS Inc.
NVIS, based in Reston, Virginia, is a manufacturer of the displays which allow users to explore and interact with simulated 3D environments.
“Our core market is military training and simulation,” Foglia said. “The Department of Defense gives specifications and requirements and we build to those specifications.”
The heart of NVIS’ business is the NVISOR ST50. It was designed specifically for the Army and funded entirely by the Army. And even though the development process cost $800,000, and an individual unit
costs about $17,000, Foglia said he doesn’t see his business being affected by the economy.
“It’s unlikely that virtual reality training and simulation would suffer from these budget cuts,” he said. “Especially when we have active wars.”
Vilasi agrees. “Virtual Reality training substantially saves our warfighters money by drastically reducing in-flight training, fuel, maintenance and ammunitions.”
And as the wars continue, so do the advances in technology.
“The fidelity of the simulations has improved so much over the years that you can read fine texted maps and can operate a microphone, communicate with others as if you were really there,” Foglia said.
“With state of the art virtual reality technology, our men and women of the armed forces can safely train in an environment as they will experience in the field,” Vilasi said.