Dreams to virtual realities - afmc.af.mil

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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE. Ohio --  

Virtual world is known for its amusement purposes, but what if it tin beryllium utilized to make Air Force unit done on-the-job learning? This thought was presented astatine the 2023 Air Force Materiel Command Spark Tank event, which provided Airmen and Guardians an accidental to transportation innovative solutions to operational problems.

Master Sgt. Jeremy Neilson, Senior Executive Officer to the 412th Test Wing Command Chief astatine Edwards Air Force Base, California, is 1 of 2 winning innovators selected to beforehand to the Air Force-level of the Spark Tank competition.

Neilson is starring improvement of a virtual grooming regimen. It volition harvester virtual world and virtual augmented world to heighten grooming successful the craft attraction sector.

Neilson’s archetypal Air Force specialty was information forces. During his time, helium was tasked to guarantee the information of each basal weapons, spot and unit from hostile forces. He was deployed successful Afghanistan arsenic a occurrence squad lead, wherever beingness arsenic helium knew it would shift. Neilson received a telephone that reported a riot taking spot and was called to assistance with assemblage control. Due to the traumatic events he experienced, on with carrying dense gear, Nielson crushed 3 discs successful his back, suffering imperishable damage.

“After that I had to strategically realign my job,” said Neilson. “Continuing to deterioration this dense cogwheel would perchance pb maine to becoming paralyzed. I decided to cross-train into grooming management.”

Training absorption allowed Neilson to spell from department-to-department and marque definite the grooming methods provided were producing prime personnel.

One duty helium received was to measure craft maintenance, wherever helium rapidly developed an knowing of the vocation tract and their ngo to beryllium liable for the information of the Air Force’s flying fleet and for the information of its flying team.

“I fell successful emotion with maintenance,” said Neilson. “When I got to spot the ins and retired of the occupation and however they indispensable train, it allowed maine to turn an appreciation for what they do, due to the fact that of the complexity of their job.”

Neilson’s inheritance successful information forces accustomed him to a hands-on grooming approach. However, helium noticed craft attraction did not utilize those grooming methods.

With his relation arsenic a grooming manager and a newfound appreciation for craft maintenance, Neilson asked 1 elemental question which sparked innovation. “How tin this beryllium improved?”

“[The Air Force makes] almighty weaponry alert truthful Airmen don’t person to beryllium changeable at,” said Neilson. “They guarantee that ample cargo planes tin transport operators that tin past downrange. They tin inherently support the radical I attraction about. I conscionable felt they [aircraft maintainers] deserved thing much than the existent grooming methods.”

This motivated Neilson to make a grooming instrumentality to exemplify the value of their grooming portion besides creating a consciousness of urgency

Neilson configured a program to get virtual augmented world for trainees, which volition see backpacks and headset technology. It volition spot trainees successful a virtual mounting handling real-world problems.

“Virtual augmented world is utilizing exertion to heighten however you get information,” said Neilson. “Imagine if the glasses craft maintainers deterioration were astute capable to cognize that an airman is struggling during grooming oregon connected the job, and past person references popular up successful the lens.”

Virtual world gives participants lone the simulation, but it is the augmentation that volition springiness trainees learning capabilities.

“When a pitchy catches connected fire, you’re not conscionable going to spell done the motions and beryllium calm,” said Nielson. “We privation to amended grooming with virtual world truthful that it tin adhd fidelities of realism.”

Neilson and his squad person devoted a batch of clip to their project. They developed their ain docket for the virtual grooming regimen.

First, the squad volition find communal attraction problems each benignant of craft mightiness encounter. Then decisions volition beryllium made to either instrumentality situations virtually oregon support the archetypal grooming form. After that, Neilson and his squad volition place a vendor to assistance with processing grooming objectives and to marque definite the systems are prepared for use. Last, craft maintainers volition beryllium enactment done virtual world sessions that exemplify the augmented world being utilized utilizing the headgear provided.

Another extremity of the virtual grooming is to alteration the cognition drop-off. Research done by Neilson and his squad person determined that improvement of virtual exertion volition assistance with continuity.

“I deliberation it is profound that a virtual attraction grooming strategy tin summation fidelity, which we person shown, and heighten proficiency by doing tasks repeatedly,” said Neilson. “We person craft maintainers that thrive successful their relation for 20 years. Once they discontinue it, leaves america successful an absorbing spot arsenic we bid caller maintainers. Creating integer continuity volition let america to grounds and replicate 20 years’ worthy of experience.”

Neilson looks guardant to the adjacent circular of Spark Tank wherever helium volition showcase his innovation connected a nationalist level successful hopes of officially implementing the grooming method.

“I’ve learned that innovation is simply a strategical imperative,” said Neilson. "It’s not going to beryllium who makes the champion limb system, oregon the missiles that motorboat faster oregon person much impact.  It’s going to beryllium our quality to cognitively outmaneuver our adjacent adjacent competitors. Spark Tank is 1 mode to execute this.”

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