Virtual Reality (VR) as a Disruptive Technology
It is concluded that VR has been and continues to be a disruptive training technology for friendly and opposing forces, and that VR could provide a means to regain -- with the help of other enabling disruptive technologies -- a training advantage that has been lost with the proliferation of technology.
Abstract
Abstract : Defence R&D Canada (DRDC) anticipates, assesses, and provides advice about the impact of emerged and emerging technologies to ensure that Canadian Forces are technologically prepared. In 2011, DRDC is considering Virtual Reality and Neural Interfaces as a potentially disruptive technologies (PDT). The purpose of this position paper is to help inform views on the use of Virtual Reality (VR) for military training by providing answers to specific questions that were posed by the DRDC examining committee. The questions sought the following: (1) a definition of the technology, (2) an analysis of its potential for disrupting defence and security, (3) identification of key barriers and key drivers for the use of the technology, and (4) an assessment of the maturity of the technology. The main conclusions of this position paper are that VR has been and continues to be a disruptive training technology for friendly and opposing forces, and that VR, if used for embedded training, could provide a means to regain -- with the help of other enabling disruptive technologies -- a training advantage that has been lost with the proliferation of technology.