Flight Simulator to Fight Simulator: VR at War
Scott Helfstein | September 24, 2018
Simulation is a key tool for military personnel. Flight simulators were first introduced in 1929, giving pilots the opportunity to practice without burning fuel or being in harm’s way. The tool also allows people to experiment with techniques or strategies that would be high risk. Technology is about to bring simulation to ground warfare through virtual reality, making forces better prepared, more cohesive, and more effective.
The Department of Defense has already announced a commitment to virtual reality and is expected to spend $6 billion in the next five years.
A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to try a commercially available VR platform with a controller design I had not used before. The game was first-person shooter and the enemies were wayward helper robots. During the tutorial, I used the controller to draw the virtual pistol from the holster, get on target, and fire. Muscle memory from small arms training set in almost immediately after the first attempt. The feeling was fluid and the game reaction lifelike.
https://mwi.usma.edu/flight-simulator-fight-simulator-vr-war/
