Posted on Dec 20, 2015
Should virtual / augmented reality be utilized for military training? Such as Oculus Rift / Microsoft HaloLens.
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Do you think the use of virtual / augmented reality from commercial companies such as Oculus Rift or Microsoft's Augment could benefit service members for training? For example, the Army has Land War Net where the are certain simulations for communications equipment. If utilizing a VR headset, a service member can actually walk and look around a room via360 degrees with a virtual instructor. It is possible to make selections and changes in the use of a virtual lab to test/incorporate the communications equipment. Since the VR is commercialized and cheaper (with apps), it could be argued that it's much less expensive to implement (rather than through contracting... you know how military IT contracting can get).
I personally purchased the Samsung/Oculus Rift headset and was quite impressed. So far, I have used it to work on several certifications... mainly PMP. When wearing the virtual headset, there is an application where you are in a movie theater and can watch any movies that are on your phone... within the VR Theater Application. Amazingly, the video appears on a screen that appears to be over 100 inches large and when you move around, you are actually looking around in the movie theater. If you rotate 180 degrees, you can see the virtual projector pushing an image on to the virtual screen that is behind you. There are applications where you are in the center of the room and people are all around you and there is a GoPro App that puts you on a motorcycle in where your view rotates 360 within a desert.
Now, It could be argued that the use of VR or augmented reality could take away the physical aspect of training and create a distracted focus. For example, service members can practice shooting weapons or fight in a simulation; but may not physically want to conduct the training. Leaders may become dependent on the ease of use and fail to coordinate physical resources real-time (but can save money). A leader may become reliant on the training themselves for their service members, but fail to learn how to become a trainer themselves.
There is no right or wrong for this (I am biased for)... but it's like cell phones. I cannot remember a street name any more, check FB too often... but I can track my wife down via GPS if she was caught in a snow storm. Both the pros and cons.
If you have not seen what Oculus rift is or what Microsoft's Augmented reality is, I would recommend for you to Google it.
I personally purchased the Samsung/Oculus Rift headset and was quite impressed. So far, I have used it to work on several certifications... mainly PMP. When wearing the virtual headset, there is an application where you are in a movie theater and can watch any movies that are on your phone... within the VR Theater Application. Amazingly, the video appears on a screen that appears to be over 100 inches large and when you move around, you are actually looking around in the movie theater. If you rotate 180 degrees, you can see the virtual projector pushing an image on to the virtual screen that is behind you. There are applications where you are in the center of the room and people are all around you and there is a GoPro App that puts you on a motorcycle in where your view rotates 360 within a desert.
Now, It could be argued that the use of VR or augmented reality could take away the physical aspect of training and create a distracted focus. For example, service members can practice shooting weapons or fight in a simulation; but may not physically want to conduct the training. Leaders may become dependent on the ease of use and fail to coordinate physical resources real-time (but can save money). A leader may become reliant on the training themselves for their service members, but fail to learn how to become a trainer themselves.
There is no right or wrong for this (I am biased for)... but it's like cell phones. I cannot remember a street name any more, check FB too often... but I can track my wife down via GPS if she was caught in a snow storm. Both the pros and cons.
If you have not seen what Oculus rift is or what Microsoft's Augmented reality is, I would recommend for you to Google it.
Posted in these groups: 
Training
Training
Edited >1 y ago
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 11
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Vehicles and aircraft? Yes. Brad and tank gunnery and tactics sims? Yes, but only so far to save wear and tear on vehicles, and the expenditure of fuel and ammo.
Dismounted Infantry? I think working squad and platoon SOPs would benefit, but you'd have to simulate weather, fatigue, gunfire, exertion, etc...
The tech just isn't there, yet.
Dismounted Infantry? I think working squad and platoon SOPs would benefit, but you'd have to simulate weather, fatigue, gunfire, exertion, etc...
The tech just isn't there, yet.
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The Army uses Warfighter III driven scenarios (VBSB and others) to train Soldiers in platoon thru brigade tactics. The systems are terrible when compared to any off the shelf system, never mind something like "Halo". The amount of servers required, and personnel to run the related website proved prohibitive (i.e. they fired the contractors and downsized). It would be fantastic to train in a VR system like the tankers and aviators, but money talks.
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Over the years, I attended many V Corps FTXs where we played the "computer" game. This replaced the REFORGER exercises. I think there are many advantages to virtual training. It allows for more time to be use as such as there aren't so many moving parts. It will allow for training of small units and allow leaders to train, think in different situations.
I also believe nothing will replace in the field training. It is one thing to make a mistake, reset the computer, but something else to make the mistake in the field and have to think your way out. There is a place for both, but neither can replace the other.
I also believe nothing will replace in the field training. It is one thing to make a mistake, reset the computer, but something else to make the mistake in the field and have to think your way out. There is a place for both, but neither can replace the other.
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