The United States Space Force uses Oculus Quest 2 headsets to train operators with virtual replicas of space stations, satellites, and control rooms.
Space Force is a military division of the United States Armed Force that was founded as an independent service in 2019. According to the Washington Post, Space Force is working with SAIC to create a virtual reality platform that the department’s operators can use to train on tasks like repairing a solar panel that repositions a spacecraft or responds to missile warning scenarios in space.
All training uses full-size virtual replicas of the relevant equipment and environments, allowing for a high level of accuracy without operators having to be in space.
“Sometimes you go to these demos and it’s just a nondescript room, but it doesn’t really look like yours [real world] Environment, ”SAIC program director John Lynch told the Washington Post. “We wanted the experience [to feel] as if you were actually there. “
Typically, realistic simulators designed for training can be extremely costly. However, the Oculus Quest 2 provided an affordable training solution with a platform that was easy to deploy and update in bulk. Here is an abbreviated description of The Washington Post’s VR training experience:
Space Force troops … can choose from pre-made avatars before being taken to a virtual lobby where they wait for up to seven more. Instructors or field experts can digitally guide them into the satellite simulation to teleport around the satellite and chat with other troops. Pull the levers and press the buttons as if you were at an actual construction site.
You can open the front of the satellite to examine its internal mechanics and press information icons for better context. Up close, the digitized satellite is shown in detail with 3D solar modules, antennas and visible screws and nuts.
According to SAIC, the headsets were bought last spring, but not through a contract with Facebook. SAIC also intends to add AR experiences to the training program, which will “allow users to train in virtual environments using real screens.”
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