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In a pitch-black smoke-filled house, lack of visibility can be the difference between falling through a hole in the floor and walking out of the building alive. There is even potential to use a recording of the procedure can even be used in a courtroom to recreate a crime scene for a jury. Multiple departments can watch the investigation and help direct on-site respondents. Despite training to avoid crime scene contamination, first responders often lack the knowhow of experienced investigators.ĭutch police have been piloting the use of an AR-equipped smartphone system that enables a remote investigator to survey the scene. Police officers typically arrive at a crime scene before detectives. Utilized by emergency services during Hurricanes Irma and Florence, the augmented video displays vital information, including street names, individual responder locations and key points of interest. The “collaborative visual intelligence technology” company Edgybees overlays critical, real-time information on top of drone video footage to give command center decision makers a clearer view of the situation on the ground. Tornado winds will easily send trees flying. Floodwaters can stop ambulances in their tracks. A burning house may torch nearby electric wires. Try to grasp all of the risks that occur during a disaster rescue operation. Together, they had to assess the nature of the incident, ensure the safety of civilians and neutralize the threat. Combining augmented reality and virtual reality, on-site trainees in Piraeus worked alongside other remote trainees to respond to the same scenario. Recently in Greece, officers with the Piraeus Port Authority used AUGGMED to walk through the response of a terrorist attack and hostage negotiation in a cruiser ship terminal. The European company AUGGMED developed a game-based VR/AR platform to enable the military and emergency services to practice responding to terrorist and organized crime threats. Trying to rationally respond to a terrorist attack seems almost impossible, particularly if the perpetrators are acting irrationally, but practice can help. Not only are the personnel able to train for realistic disaster scenarios, the rescue missions are recorded and reviewed by the team to look for ways to improve the effectiveness of the response.
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Using a virtual reality system developed by EON Reality, first responders at Norway’s Sola Airport are able to practice emergency procedures on a digital facsimile of the airport. But if a disaster happens, realistic preparation can save countless lives. Most of the people who work in the airline industry will never have to weather a plane crash or terrorist attack. Here are some of the latest use cases for VR and AR helping first responders: 1. However, finding easy-to-use hardware that’s good in any ambient condition is still a challenge. “Technology is reaching the point where connectivity, FOV (Field of Vision) and visual acuity needs can be met,” he says. Kip Kokinakis, who advises on visual systems for ImagizeLLC, expects potential VR and AR applications for firefighters, EMTs and police to grow. “And when you face that same situation in real life, you can walk away, and maybe walk away with a smile on your face.” But if you make your first mistake in a VR or AR helmet, that’s something you can learn from and move forward from, explains Rahmanian. “If you mess up on your first patient or your first fire, it can be a devastating, life-changing event.
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“They’re learning without going through the psychological repercussions.” “To be able to give experience to a first responder using VR or MR, without putting them in danger, can be a great psychological and emotional aid,” says Rahmanian, who has worked on training experiences for the LA County Sheriff’s Department. Roham Rahmanian, partner at the The Astronauts Guild production company, says that while simulated drills can help a first responder, virtual reality and mixed reality enable the user to have experiences much closer to reality.
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Emergency workers are utilizing the technology to respond to deadly scenarios such as car accidents, natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Virtual and augmented reality often conjure up visions of zoned-out gamers walking around in Oculus headsets or playing Pokèmon Go on their phones.
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