Jan. 22, 2019 (Orlando, FL) Engineering & Computer Simulations (ECS), an innovative provider of global workforce training services and solutions, works with HaptX, a visionary haptic technology firm, to provide enhanced military medical virtual reality training.
ECS has enhanced its Tactical Combat Casualty Care Simulation (TC3Sim) medical trainer to incorporate a sense of touch in training scenarios to improve realism and training by using the HaptX Gloves Development Kit an industrial-grade product for advanced simulation in virtual reality. HaptX Gloves enable users to experience virtual simulations with realistic touch feedback and natural interaction for the first time. This unique transformational training debuted at the Interservice/ Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference (I/ITSEC), and subsequently, has been enhanced with even more realism that will be showcased at the International Meeting on Simulation in Healthcare (IMSH) January 26-30, 2019.
Shane Taber, ECS vice president of operations/Orlando, explains: “Previously, VR training focused on learning through visual and auditory cues. The sense of touch has been missing, and by integrating the HaptX Gloves, Warfighters shift their perspective from the typical Virtual Reality interaction that uses a controller to click and interact, to more of a human-based physical approach of actually grasping an object or reaching out and touching a button with your finger. A medic can bandage a wound or administer CPR, perform highly tactile procedures, and immediately see and hear the effect; feel the weight, the sensation, or movement of that action. We are excited to enhance the medical teams’ performance and improve their quality of training to allow trainees to learn more quickly and effectively with the integration of touch.”
David Fahr, ECS software engineer adds: “We received amazing reactions at I/ITSEC. Military service members, corporate leaders, and others said this unique training experience was unlike anything they had experienced before. Incorporating this feedback, we improved on the items used and overall flow of the scenarios to allow interactions to happen in an easier manner and for a more fluid experience in training scenarios. In the future, ECS plans to add a tutorial scenario to introduce users to the experience and haptic feedback.”
ECS plans to continue researching and testing these technologies to continue improving relevant, innovative, and fully-supported capabilities for the U.S. Army Research Lab. Their plan will also demonstrate the capabilities of haptic technology to fill existing gaps in skills training and further the understanding of the perception of touch as a component of virtual training.
HaptX Gloves feature 130 tactile actuators that provide realistic touch across the hand and fingertips. Built with HaptX’s patented microfluidic technology, HaptX Gloves also deliver powerful force feedback and motion tracking with sub-millimeter precision. The gloves are usually combined with a VR headset to provide a complete training experience.
