Police are learning when not to shoot using virtual reality
The Virtra technology originally employed headsets and goggles, much like the Oculus Rift, but found this to be ineffective in real-life scenarios. Today, the technology is projected in 300 degrees of immersive scenario, where the trainer can manipulate any scenario to train and test officers as if they were really in the field.
"... the system I tested out in Morris County, which is now being used at more than 200 training facilities around the world, consists of five large screens that surround a stage and five overhead projectors that cast lifesize videos onto the screens, giving the users the feeling that they’re standing in the center of a scene. The Glock on my hip was a real gun, but rather than being loaded with bullets, it was loaded with carbon dioxide, causing the gun to recoil each time I pulled the trigger. At the end of the gun is a laser, which interacts with the cameras overhead to detect whether or not a shot is accurate. The system also comes with a wearable device that gives officers a small electrical shock to simulate they’ve been shot."
The Virtra system is being used by police departments all over the United States in an effort to curb the violence and tension that's been in the media lately. After the scenarios are run, trainers sit down with officers to identify strengths and weaknesses to make them more capable of protecting the public in every scenario.
See the full story here: http://www.komando.com/happening-now/302319/police-are-learning-when-not-to-shoot-using-virtual-reality/2