Technology and the availability to use its cutting edge has always been an extremely important in military research and development. Having access to superior equipment can be the determining factor in any given conflict, or even change how warfare is seen conceptually. Andrew Marshall, The Director of the Office of Net Assessments, Office of the Secretary of Defence describes the concept of A Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA) as “a major change in the nature of warfare brought about by the innovative application of new technologies which, combined with dramatic changes in military doctrine and operational and organisational concepts, fundamentally alters the character and conduct of military operations (Ibrügger, 1998)”. However, the military applications of VR expand far beyond that of an actual conflict.
Virtual reality is being used extensively in training the world’s military forces, as millions are spent across the globe on different training initiatives and the hardware and software to allow them to work so efficiently. The scope for training exercises is huge, offering ways to simulate potentially hazardous environments such as bomb disposal, lethal combat encounters and more. Through use of technology such as the US Army’s Dismounted Soldier Training System (DSTS), complicated simulations of troop tactics and experience can be gained as soldiers don a set of input and output devices that place them into the environment to learn and experience as close to real combat as possible, seeing and hearing as a squad through the data gathered and distributed to their head mounted displays (HMD). This framework for interacting with VR through headsets and suits is repeated across much of the technology used in military applications of virtual reality to one degree or other, often incorporating specialist setup to mimic a set environment or vehicle as part of a simulation.
“A big advantage of a virtual reality simulation is that it enables them to complete the simulation but without the risk of death or a serious injury. They can re-enact a particular scenario, for example engagement with an enemy in an environment in which they experience this but without the real world risks. This has proven to be safer and less costly than traditional training methods. (Virtual Reality, 2016)“.
Beyond the training of troops on the ground, VR offers incredibly sophisticated vehicle simulators that are perhaps the most well-known of VR applications in use by the military. Being able to showcase and teach the piloting and driving of military vehicles that cost millions of pounds without any risk of them being compromised, or any unforeseen damage outside of the vehicle itself. Training in this manner requires expensive and specialist equipment, putting the pilot into a replica of the cockpit complete with all of the displays and controls that you would have in front of you in the real thing. From traditional flight simulators, VR has allowed military training to deliver combat simulations, stress tests, tactics and more for any vehicle at their disposal where they have funding to produce the hardware and software to match.
The use of vehicles in virtual reality extends into Augmented Reality (AR) where the use of unmanned drones offers a solution in the right circumstances that presents no risk to the life of a human operator. Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) are the most commonly experienced drone in the eye of the media, allowing a human pilot the ability to complete surveillance, or launch an actual attack on a given target without being anywhere near the physical location. The same sort of protection and safeguards are offered by the use of drones in bomb disposal situations. This circumstances where the pilot can see what happens from the perspective of their drone, and perform a multitude of tasks could be considered invaluable in the protection of life on the ground.
“The key to the effectiveness of virtual reality for military purpose is the man–machine interface or human–computer interaction. Military personnel must be able to perform their tasks and missions using VR sensory display devices and response devices. These devices must display an environment that provides the appropriate cues and responses needed to learn and perform military tasks (Lele, 2014)”
The main drawback in the use of virtual reality in the military will always be cost and the level of technology available. With millions upon millions of pounds invested in each individual system the monetary concern is a big question. When the training setup for a new soldier to teach them group tactics and to experience their first virtual combat is in excess of $10,000 it becomes a race of what military can afford to keep at the cutting edge of this technology.
“At present, NATO pilots from different countries rarely train with one another due to the huge expense of bringing together aircraft and their support staff. There are also too few full-motion flight simulators, which can cost $10 million each, to create virtual squadrons through remote link-up. As a result, often the first time many NATO pilots share airspace is on a mission. (Flying in virtual formation, 2007)”
The health and safety issues of prolonged use of virtual reality equipment can pose a problem. Eye strain, disorientation and headaches being the most common maladies. There is still plenty of room for research into the psychological effects of long term or multiple use of the simulation of high stress situations. According to a study published in Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine “61% reported symptoms of malaise at some point during a 20-min immersion and 10-min postimmersion period. These ranged from symptoms such as dizziness, stomach awareness, headaches, eyestrain, and lightheadedness to severe nausea. (Regan and Price, 1994)”.
As the amount of options for these options continues to grow, specifically for training and remote combat, so do the ethical concerns. How many drone missions does it take before the pilot becomes sloppy, or worse yet desensitised to the potential for lives lost as a result of their missions. “Vitual reality pioneers frequently raise a religious standard for technology. Bonny de Vargo has enthusiastically described the experience of being godlike in cyberspace (Geraci, 2010)”. Should the use of such technology come after more thought for the potential consequences of its use.
References
Ibrügger, L. (1998). The Revolution in Military Affairs. NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee Reports. [online] General Rapporteur. Available at: http://www.iwar.org.uk/rma/resources/nato/ar299stc-e.html [Accessed 14 Nov. 2016].
Lele, A. J Ambient Intell Human Comput (2013) 4: 17. doi:10.1007/s12652-011-0052-4
Flying in virtual formation. (2007). New Scientist, 194(2605), p.29.
Virtual Reality. (2016). History Of Virtual Reality – Virtual Reality. [online] Available at: http://www.vrs.org.uk/virtual-reality/history.html [Accessed 2 Dec. 2016].
Bhagat, K.K., Liou, WK. & Chang, CY. Virtual Reality (2016) 20: 127. doi:10.1007/s10055-016-0284-x
SMITH, J.J., 2012. From Live Scenarios to Virtual Reality, Police/Military Look to Simulators for Training. Government Video, 23(4), pp. 22-24.
Regan, E. and Price, K. (1994). The frequency of occurrence and severity of side-effects of immersion virtual reality. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 65(6), pp.527-530.
Geraci, R. (2010). Apocalyptic AI: Visions of Heaven in Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, and Virtual Reality. 1st ed. Oxford University Press.
Virtual Reality in the real world 