Challenge to solve
Modular Medical Environment (MME), one of ECS’s projects, serves as a testbed for different use
cases, integrating the latest technology into military medicine training solutions. One of these use
cases is Care Under Fire (CUF) training—a medical training program that teaches soldiers and first
responders how to provide life-saving care to those wounded in active combat. CUF requires making
medical and tactical decisions quickly, based on an understanding of surrounding threats and
environment.
Recreating a Care Under Fire training environment with traditional methods is extremely difficult, as
training requires the simulation of the intensity and chaos of real combat. Additionally, CUF requires
split-second decisions that balance medical skills with tactical awareness. For this reason, ECS
needed a virtual training environment that was realistic and immersive, so that soldiers could be better
prepared to manage high-pressure decisions, treat injuries quickly and remain focused on both
medical care and mission objectives.
Implementation of haptic gloves
By integrating the Nova 2 haptic gloves into a virtual CUF training environment, ECS was able to
provide an immersive VR training experience for soldiers. Not only could they see the situations
occurring within the battlefield and their injured peers, but they could also navigate the environment
and interact with the different tools through touch, exactly like would in a real-life combat scenario.
The gloves allowed users to feel and handle medical tools as they learned how to use them to provide
urgent care under pressure.
The results
With an immersive CUF training session and the sensory input that haptics provided, soldiers built
their muscle memory and fine motor skills under stress while still in a controlled and safe environment.
At the same time, the XR haptics-enabled environment optimized the time and cost of CUF training,
removing the need for expensive and resource-heavy setups like live-action drills or mock combat
environments. With haptics, trainees could also practice more frequently and at their own pace,
increasing efficiency and accelerating skill acquisition.
