Innovation in training and education is at the forefront of military advancements and continues to evolve. Immersive technology in the military and defense market is expected to grow from 8.26 billion in 2023 to a massive 59.37 billion in 2032. HTC VIVE recently surveyed 400 military professionals and published a report titled “The State of Extended Reality (XR) Training in the U.S. Military," in which 81% of respondents said that XR increases trainee confidence and cultivates the required muscle memory for successful application. Furthermore, 77% of respondents said XR simulations increase the trainees’ sense of safety and readiness when facing real-world challenges. XR training is clearly poised to make a massive impact in defense.
HTC VIVE is dedicated to advancing the art of training and education with XR for defense, law enforcement, and more. This year, HTC VIVE will attend the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) to demonstrate its secure XR training solutions from November 27 to December 1 in Orlando, Florida. At the HTC VIVE booth, we will feature an immersive full-body training scenario for neutralizing enemy combatants with V-Armed, and AR-enabled work-instruction solutions with Taqtile on our latest VIVE XR Elite headset.
“The findings from our survey report really confirm the increasing need of government departments for secure XR training,” said Dan O’Brien, GM of Americas at HTC VIVE. “I/ITSEC is a great channel where industry leaders, the military, and the educational communities gather to empower and inspire each other for better training outcomes with emerging technologies. We can’t wait to showcase new ways of augmenting training with our secure XR technology in a safe and effective way in collaboration with our partners.”
In collaboration with V-Armed, specializing in large-scale multi-person VR simulators for military and law enforcement training, participants will experience a two-person VR training exercise as a military sniper and a spotter attempting to neutralize enemy combatants on VIVE XR Elite. Their physical movements and weapon trajectories will be tracked and rendered in a V-Armed 3D VR scenario, which provides a highly realistic and measurable training environment for the military’s and first responders’ evaluation.
“We’ve shifted the V-Armed product offering toward a completely wireless model for military and law enforcement training,” Ezra Krausz, CEO of V-Armed. “Our goal is to provide tactical teams with group training simulation that feels as close to real-life as possible, and participants will be able to experience that realism and freedom of movement firsthand in our demonstration at I/ITSEC.”
At the HTC VIVE booth, our partner Taqtile will demonstrate the ability to train defense personnel to complete complex tasks on weapons, equipment, and systems through its Manifest platform. Airplane landing gear will be used to illustrate inspection training, equipment familiarization, and maintenance procedures on a demonstration version of the Manifest platform that utilizes the color-passthrough video capabilities of VIVE XR Elite.
“Manifest and the HTC VIVE XR Elite make a powerful combination that supports the training and digital modernization strategies of defense forces,” stated John Tomizuka, CTO of Taqtile, a leader in spatial computing technologies and AR-enabled work-instruction solutions. “Our collaboration with HTC VIVE is providing new opportunities to enable defense forces to improve combat readiness.
In addition, several HTC VIVE partners will demonstrate immersive training solutions on VIVE devices throughout the I/ITSEC exhibition hall, including:
- HTX Labs (booth #2832) will showcase how its EMPACT Immersive Training Platform and custom content services empower training modernization, improve safety, reduce costs, and build resilience and readiness across defense and commercial industries.
- HOLOGATE (#312) will present the HGXR M system – an exceptionally flexible VR setup that effortlessly turns any room into a versatile free-roam space for training and simulation, featuring HTC VIVE tracking solutions. Trusted by clients such as the German Army and Police, this system empowers users to train anything anywhere.
- Talon Simulations, VR Training, and 302 Interactive (booth #3301) will showcase an iteration of their Mixed Reality (MR) Driver Training System for the U.S. Marines Corps’ new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) on VIVE XR Elite, preparing soldiers for real-world operation and ensuring their safety.
- Operator XR (booth #1227) will showcase tactical XR training systems powered by its own smart sensors, VIVE Focus 3, and wrist trackers for weapon integration, which can upskill tactics, techniques, and procedures against any virtual target while in a high-stress and high-risk simulated environment.
BlueHalo (#3410), Mass Virtual (#3100), Street Smarts VR (#2366), ForgeFX Simulations (#3464), National Center for Simulation (#2818), and more will showcase solutions on our device on the show floor as well. For more information, you can visit HTC VIVE booth #3211 and follow our social channels for updates.