Dublin company to build virtual reality training scenarios for militaries

Dublin-based virtual reality simulation company VRAI has partnered with BAE Systems to form new training methods for militaries that will allow soldiers to take part in complex collective scenarios in a secure environment.

The two companies have plans to further develop a single synthetic environment, or “metaverse”, to enable air, land, sea, space and cyber forces to plug in and train alongside one another in a single virtual world.

VRAI has developed technology that enables them to provide performance insights using machine learning and datasets generated by synthetic training to assist people working in hazardous environments, including military forces.

The initial proof of concept, to be delivered by BAE Systems by the end of 2022, will see the company integrate multi-domain (air, land, sea, space and cyber) synthetic environments to enable complex collective training scenarios in a secure environment.

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Militaries around the western world are increasingly focused on using new technologies to remove their personnel from risk and reduce the carbon footprint of military training.

Minister for Defence Simon Coveney announced that the State’s defence budget would rise from €1.1 billion to €1.5 billion by 2028 last week, with €8 billion to be spent on defence in Ireland between now and then.

Simulation and virtual training provides the opportunity for people to train in a wide variety of scenarios and hazardous environments, without exposing them to the risk of those scenarios, and while reducing the level of wear and tear on equipment.

The partnership between VRAI and BAE will enable the creation of a “training metaverse”, and VRAIs technology will enable huge simulation datasets to be captured, stored, analysed and presented back to the users in an actionable way.

Founded in Ireland in 2017, VRAI’s technology combines virtual reality technology with data capture, analysis and machine learning in order to measure, evaluate and predict human performance, and improve training outcomes.

VRAI’s objective is to “democratise simulation training” by bringing high end simulation capability, once the sole domain of the likes of pilots or surgeons, to whoever needs it. They are also currently building a VR simulation solution for the offshore wind industry.

VRAI co-founder Niall Campion said: “We believe that data, particularly data captured via virtual training, has the power to revolutionise how militaries prepare for operations.

“By capturing, storing and evaluating individual user performance data within simulation we can deliver actionable insights to instructors actionable insights, personalised to each trainee.

“Our work with BAE Systems will enable us to bring these insights right to the front line of training.”

Stuart Atha, defence capability director for BAE Systems’ air sector, said: “A single synthetic environment opens up huge opportunities for collective training, bringing crucial battlefield experiences without the challenges and constraints of live training and its limited warfare scenarios.

“Being able to use the data generated from simulation to tailor training for an individual is crucial for our armed forces.

“The modern battlespace is constantly changing and by collaborating with cutting-edge companies like VRAI we can meet this challenge and help our armed forces stay ahead of the curve.”