Virtual Evacuation Vehicles for Training Medics (VEV-TM)

As the Army moves forward with the integration of the MRAP Heavy Armored Ground Ambulance (HAGA) as a ground platform for evacuation, there is a critical need to train medics on how to take advantage of the capabilities of the new platform (e.g. access to additional tools and storage space) and develop coping mechanisms for obstacles associated with performing tasks within the vehicle (e.g. space/movement restrictions). The Medic Vehicle Environment/Task Trainer (M-VETT) aims to meet these goals through the use of a portable mixed reality training environment. The proposed scenario-based training solution will provide trainees with the opportunity to gain a level of kinesthetic memory (muscle memory) required to quickly locate tools that are needed to complete a variety of medical procedures while recording performance on those tasks as and others that are required of them during the CASEVAC process (e.g. communicating to the next level of care). The critical training objectives, tasks, metrics and multimodal cues will be researched and translated into functional requirements under the proposed Phase I effort. In addition, training scenarios for the simulation environment and prototypes of key functionalities will be developed and evaluated for feasibility by Design Interactive and their Phase II development partners.