Design and implementation of a virtual reality system and its application to training medical first responders

This paper presents the design and implementation of a distributed virtual reality (VR) platform that was developed to support the training of multipl e users who must perform complex tasks in which situation assessment and cr itical thinking are the primary components of success. The system is fully immersive and multimodal, and users are represented as tracked, full-body f igures, The system supports the manipulation of virtual objects, allowing u sers to act upon the environment in a natural manner. The underlying intell igent simulation component creates an interactive, responsive world in whic h the consequences of such actions are presented within a realistic, time-c ritical scenario. The focus of this work has been on the training of medica l emergency-response personnel. BjoSimMER an application of the system to t raining first responders to an act of bio-terrorism, has been implemented a nd is presented throughout the paper as a concrete example of how the under lying platform architecture supports complex training tasks. Finally, a pre liminary field study was performed at the Texas Engineering Extension Servi ce Fire Protection Training Division. The study focused on individual, rath er than team, interaction with the system and was designed to gauge user ac ceptance of VR as a training tool. The results of this study are presented.