The firm behind the Taser is expanding virtual reality (VR) and immersive training to urge police officers throughout the United States. It will allow them to practise with safer armaments on a more frequent basis.
In the VR training module, a hostile man rushes up to a police officer, who brandishes a Taser to face the attacker. Because the man is wearing a heavy jacket, the barbs that would produce an electrical charge and throw him to the ground may not function properly.
This is a similar situation to many that police officers around the United States have experienced repeatedly. In some cases, the policemen have suffered as a result of their Tasers proving to be ineffective. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Patrick Lyoya caught a bullet in the back of his head from a police firearm, after an altercation when the officer involved attempted to use his Taser on Lyoya twice. It was unsuccessful both times.
Axon is the brand that is most widely regarded for its creation of the Taser. It is broadening its horizons by rolling out the VR and immersive training course intended to enhance Taser training efficacy for police officers in real-life scenarios. It will also help to raise their levels of comfort when it comes to instant decision making. The training can be instrumental in teaching about the best place to fire a Taser to immobilise a suspect without resorting to coercive power.
Over the years, Axon has developed into one of the biggest tech firms serving police departments in the United States. It specialises in providing Tasers and bodycams to departments of all sizes. This includes some of the most high profile and expansive forces in the country. The new virtual reality training, just being rolled out, is the newest virtual reality programme by the company. It will be combined with other practical training drills, such as answering calls from individuals with autism and domestic abuse cases.
The virtual reality training is being catered through the help of components such as wrist controllers, headgear and a Taser with a custom VR cartridge. All of these are packaged neatly into a small duffel bag that is convenient for police agencies to utilise it during convocations or during calls for cops at a police precinct. This also implies that policemen can train on their own time rather than being dispatched to an academy or a training centre.
Axon’s vice president of immersive technology, Chris Chin, said that the degree of iteration and training methodologies are more authentic in conventional modes of teaching, but often seem to be costly and time consuming. He stressed that the implementation of immersive technology helped to enhance the efficiency and availability of training, whilst reducing costs.
Departments that have been testing the software have praised the transportable equipment and continuous access. In the past, training simulators have proven to be costly for many police departments, necessitating the construction of two-dimensional displays in a police academy or other institutions. A policeman only requires a few feet of space around them with the new equipment, and the programme can be conducted virtually, with a trainer at some other location or even from their residence.
