EnterTrain™: Videogame-based Equipment Maintenance Training

Computer-based training, while extensively used in the military with some success, tends to be monotonous and not especially conducive to material retention. To remedy this problem, the U.S. Marine Corps decided to harness videogame technology to make learning more memorable and fun. On this SBIR project, the USMC is interested in exploiting videogame technology for equipment maintenance training. Phase I of this project created the design of an innovative videogame-based training system for USMC maintenance technicians. The game is intended to teach maintainers how to troubleshoot equipment maintenance problems using advanced automatic maintenance test technology and a variety of general-purpose test equipment. The videogame employs brainwave monitoring to gauge the learner’s level of engagement and uses that knowledge to adjust the level of task difficulty and speed of the game. Videogame scoring is based on the maintenance task difficulty level and the time and resources the maintainer uses in performing the task. Phase II is concerned with implementing the videogame design created in Phase I.