Simulating combat situations
Virtual Reality is already extensively used in the training of military personnel and police officers. A VR system can be effectively employed to simulate combat or other dangerous situations, teaching them how to handle these scenarios correctly. A virtual simulation allows a soldier or officer to experience a hazardous situation without the risk of injury. An additional benefit is that simulation training requires significantly less time, space, and money compared to extensive role-playing exercises. All you need is a PC, a headset (HMD), and a minimum space of 3x3m.
Training in dangerous or hard-to-reach environments
Military personnel and police officers must be prepared for any conceivable situation. Unfortunately, and fortunately, not every dangerous situation can be replicated in the real world. Training in the virtual world is the ideal solution to experience a dangerous situation in a highly realistic manner without the physical risks. Soldiers can undergo virtual training in a war zone or prepare for a terrorist threat, while police officers can quickly find themselves on the streets of London apprehending a drug gang. All this without the associated physical risks, yet with a highly realistic experience.
Training complex medical procedures
VR is also extremely well-suited for medical applications. Many hospitals use VR capabilities to simulate and prepare for medical procedures, and schools use it to train (medical) students, for example, in providing care. Here too, the situation can be simulated in the virtual world, allowing for practice in every possible way. Defence can benefit from this by simulating a medical procedure under stressful conditions. Or consider police officers who find themselves in a shootout and need to treat a colleague who has been shot in the arm. With VR, these situations can be simulated to provide a lifelike experience for the user, thus offering excellent preparation for real-life scenarios.
Practising with different firearms
Choosing a new weapon is no easy task. Firearms are not cheap, and what is the right weapon for extensive use? With VR, you can simulate the initial use of a weapon. In the virtual environment, you can use a weapon with haptic feedback, making the recoil and experience of your chosen weapon as realistic as possible. This saves the cost of testing different weapons and provides a good initial feel of how the weapon handles. If the simulation feels right, you can proceed to test the weapon in real life!
Simulating different types of vehicles
When you want to pilot an aeroplane or helicopter, it is wise to get a bit of "feeling" for it first. Students aspiring to become pilots receive their initial training in a flight simulator before stepping into a real aircraft. This simulation can also be perfectly used to train for other vehicles. Consider someone driving a large lorry for the first time, or a police officer crossing a busy intersection with sirens blaring for the first time. All this can be simulated in a safe training environment to be well-prepared for the real situation. Military personnel can even use VR capabilities to realistically simulate a parachute jump.