The Royal Navy has installed VR simulators at three military training sites in the UK.
The simulators, built by Portsmouth-based Metaverse VR, recreate the bridge of a warship. A bridge or wheelhouse is like an airplane cockpit for ships.
The Navy hopes the new simulators will make sailor training faster and more lifelike.
“It feels like you're stepping onto the bridge of a warship,” said Stephen Smallman, 28, a trainee war officer. “It’s very easy to immerse yourself in the situation – it makes everything feel much more real.”
The Royal Navy hopes the new simulators will improve the training of new recruits. Photo credit: The Royal Navy
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The Royal Navy has used digital bridge simulators for decades, but these are based on technology from the early 2000s. “The old simulator was good, but you knew you were in a room with some screens,” Smallman said.
The Navy has installed five of the VR simulators on HMS Collingwood, a war school in southern England. These include two large “full mission” units equipped with wraparound digital displays. The other three simulators are smaller versions that more closely resemble a video game setup.
“A game changer”
When sailors put on the VR headsets, they immerse themselves in a 3D world. You can look over the side of the virtual boat and look down at the waves crashing against the hull.
The trainees can maneuver the ship and practice scenarios such as replenishment missions or docking in port. You can also adjust the weather to practice in rough seas, for example, but without the real dangers.
Sailors and their mentors can record and then replay all training scenarios.
A look into the VR bridge. Photo credit: The Royal Navy
“The new simulators are fantastic and the debriefing – which allows us to understand exactly what just happened – is a crucial part of training navigators and bridge teams,” said Lieutenant Commander Gavin Lowe. Two decades ago, the lieutenant was among the first trainees to use first-generation simulators.
The other four VR simulators were split between the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth and a new naval facility in Faslane, Scotland.
The Royal Navy s£27m (€31m) depositedn the new technology.
The simulators complement an arsenal of state-of-the-art defense equipment used by the Navy. These include autonomous mine hunters And Electronic warfare systems. The Navy could even install DragonFire laser weapons on its ships from 2027.
