THE AIM OF AUGGMED

AUGGMED aims to develop a serious game VR and MR platform that can be used for single and cooperative training in different settings offering different levels of realism and engagement. The platform will enable police, security forces and counter-terrorist units as well as first responders to train their staff in different VR environments with different scenarios and apply this training in the real infrastructure environment using mixed reality techniques. In addition, the platform will be highly flexible offering a range of VR and augmented reality AR environments (from mobile devices to a full-scale real-life augmented environment) so that security forces can train at their own convenience as well as participating in well organised large-scale training sessions. This will deliver different learning experiences based on: The type of environment that the content is being accessed in. The capabilities of the devices themselves. The type of training being delivered.

The number of people participating in the training session. The learning objectives of that particular session. A multidisciplinary team with expertise in virtual/augmented reality, immersion, serious gaming, crowd and incident simulations, command and control, critical communications management and critical infrastructure protection, counter terrorism, emergency response, security and training will design and develop a new automated game scenario engine for training in scalable VR and MR environments involving single- or multi-players at home, office and/or on-site. The platform will be designed to actively engage participants in interactive training sessions based on non-linear, adaptive scenarios supporting multiple outcomes.

In addition, AUGGMED scenarios will be driven by effective simulations of CI environments, telecommunication capabilities, types of threat and agent behaviour (e.g., police, first responders, crowd and intruder) resulting in highly realistic consequences without real-life implications (safe failure). The platform will use the Unity3D engine to generate the VR environments and agents making it compatible with mainstream Sector tools and technologies. The AUGGMED platform will be designed to address the learning objectives of the trainees including acquisition of problem solving, analytical and decision making skills. For that reason, the AUGGMED platform will incorporate tools that will enable trainers to set learning objectives, define their own scenarios, monitor training session, intervene in real-time to modify scenario and/or provide feedback, as well as evaluate trainees’ performance.

Figure 1 shows the AUGGMED concept Moreover, AUGGMED will include modes which will allow first responders to actively participate in training sessions using VR or MR environment with different levels of immersion and engagement. These modes will be suitable for both single- and cooperative team-based training. In addition, trainees can be in the same or different physical location.