Developing effective Virtual Reality training for military forces and emergency operators: From technology to human factors

The use of Virtual Reality (VR) for training is increasingly common in the military and in emergency operator fields. One of the main problems with the use of VR for training is the fact that the technology, although advanced, is not enough on its own. Technological aspects like fidelity and sensorial realism are certainly important in developing effective training techniques, but there are others that need to be considered. Focusing on human factors from the earliest stages of designing VR training can increase effectiveness and reduce the possibility of ineffective or even harmful effects of the training. This approach, called "Human-Centered VR Training Design," is characterized by being both multimodal (i.e., oriented to several aspects of user experience) and multilevel (i.e., based on the integrated use of technical and methodological solutions); it has undergone preliminary testing by Selex ES within the project Minerva in collaboration with psychological researchers at the University of Milano-Bicocca.