Software simulates medical emergencies on the front line

The training system was created by Cambridge technology pioneer Plextek , in collaboration with the UK government's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). The software can simulate pre-hospital care on the battlefield and allows trainees to negotiate and prioritise clinical needs, teaching teamwork and decision-making skills during high-stress environments. Using a virtual reality headset called Oculus Rift, soldiers can look all around their surrounding environment, navigating with a handheld controller to head across the virtual battleground and attend to casualties. A chosen 'simulation controller' can then select particular complications to add to either the wounded soldier or environment around them, including decreasing the consciousness level of an injured solider, worsening respiratory distress, gunfire, enemy sniper or bomb attack. After completing the exercise, the performance of the trainees is evaluated using a debrief module that provides a recording of participants' actions and generates an evaluative report. Plextek believes the technology has huge potential to expand existing 'moulage' training, which typically involves actors with painted-on wounds in a sterile setting. "By placing the soldiers within an immersive, life-like battlefield environment the solider can learn to be far better prepared for incidents on the frontline," the company said in a statement.