Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The virtual world can be fun as video games have shown. Use it to train real-life soldiers and it’s more than useful. For, forget the rough and tumble of the battlefield, it is the one place where soldiers can make mistakes, but get a second chance.
Armed and convinced by its advantages, the Pune-based Institute of Armament Technology (IAT) is developing a virtual reality lab to train defence personnel and hopes to get it up and running within a year.
‘‘We will be using virtual reality immersive technologies to create a three dimensional (3D) virtual world where war tactics can be simulated,’’ said Arvind Dixit, Scientist D at IAT who is working on the project. While this technology isn’t new — it’s used in, yes, multiplayer video games – its application in training defence personnel is being attempted for the first time in the country.
‘‘This system has been used succesfully by American forces,’’ said defence analyst Col Anil Athale, who observed the virtual reality systems at the University of Illinois, a pioneer in using this technique. ‘‘At a tactical level, this technology is very useful. Specially in decision-making situations like entering a hostile house. It is good for gauging response,’’ he said.
Also, everything is recorded precisely and accurate feedback can be generated.
Dixit said soldiers would be fitted with head-mounted displays, immersive goggles and gloves and will then be hooked on to a network (similar to the internet). ‘‘It will be an exact replica of the battleground and soldiers can interact with each other and take part in war simulations,’’ he said.
Through a secure network, it will be possible for officers at different locations to take part in the same exercise. But there’s a hitch: A 2 Mbps data line available with the defence forces restricts use to three or four personnel undergoing simulation training at any time.
