Contingency Response Training and Mission Planning for Expeditionary Airfield Operations using Immersive Technology and Cloud-based Geospatially Accurate Virtual Environments

The 621 Contingency Response Wing (CRW) has a national defense-related mission need in the area of developing Contingency Response (CR) training solutions by leveraging technology, such as virtual reality, to simulate planning and training operations. Specifically, the 621 CRW is committed to elevating the capability of their organization relative to mission planning, airfield planning, and anticipating the unknown, in either humanitarian or combat operations. We believe technology development under the subject SBIR topic may eventually contribute to solving a mission need. The main goals of our involvement in this project are to adapt HTX’s EMPACT immersive learning platform to 1) support the end user creation of large scale, geospatially accurate virtual environments using GIS/Satellite terrain imagery and data, 2) enable the use of large scale virtual environments to support expeditionary airfield operations, mission planning and training, 3) collaborate with airmen to develop training courses, such as use of a clinometer (to measure glideslope), compass (determine heading), and dynamic cone penetrometer (DCP, test subgrade strength of a potential runway), air traffic control training, and to practice camp layout planning activities, and 4) explore opportunities to deploy immersive technology more broadly across the Air Force. The mission impact of this project on the Air Force and the Department of Defense will be to increase airmen readiness immediately through an initial deployment of the EMPACT training platform, provide airmen with the content creation, management, and distribution tools necessary to sustain an immersive training program into the future, and increase accessibility through the use of portable learning devices such as virtual reality HMDs and tablets.