Operational Evaluation of a Virtual Reality Parachute Simulator

摘要

A virtual reality parachute training simulator was pioneered by Systems Technology, Inc. over two decades ago for the US Forestry Service to reduce the high rate of injuries experienced by smokejumpers during training. Since that time the system has evolved to support a wide variety of training needs including aircrew emergency egress training and special operations mission rehearsal. Each system consists of a simulation computer configured with specialized software, steering controls, a virtual reality head-mounted display, a head tracker, sensors for detecting riser inputs and ripcord pulls, and a suspension frame. This paper describes the results of a study conducted to determine the effectiveness of virtual reality-based parachute training. The analysis clearly shows the benefit of VR-based training. Student improvement is clear for all assessment areas with no negative impact observed in the analysis.