VR Systems: Out from the Laboratory

In spite of the large amount of "hype" that accompanied virtual reality (VR) earlier this decade, the field has produced only a few examples of demonstrably useful systems. Systems must be fielded and validated to show that VR is useful for purposes other than academic research. This paper discusses two VR systems developed at the Naval Research Laboratory that have received validation by statistical analysis or by user acceptance. One system focuses on experiments in shipboard firefighting to verify the effectiveness of VR as a mission planning tool. Using trained U.S. Navy firefighters, we conducted a shipboard experiment. The VR-trained firefighters performed significantly better on both navigation and firefighting tasks. The second system involved developing an application using NRL's VR Responsive Workbench to provide situational awareness inside a U.S. Marine Corps combat operations center (COC). This system has been called a major advance that is likely to eliminate paper maps in the COC.