Military forces are adopting VR haptic gloves for training. The result? Reduced costs and more scalable training.
Virtual reality (VR) is already transforming military training, with the industry expected to hit USD 21.81 billion by 2032. But for all its benefits, one thing is missing: the sense of touch. Now, armies around the world are incorporating VR haptic gloves to bring tactile cues to virtual drills, making soldier training more immersive and effective.
While VR can replicate the sights and sounds of a battlefield, the lack of tactile feedback and natural interactions during defense training can considerably limit skill development. Conventional VR controllers do not give soldiers enough cues to learn critical procedures and retain knowledge effectively.
“Nobody ever pushes a button with their fist”, says Captain Ewout van Dort, former Staff Officer R&D for the Dutch Ministry of Defense, when explaining the limitations of VR controllers for training. “Usually you push a button with your finger. Grabbing things and moving things needs to be as natural as possible”.
The Dutch Ministry of Defense is one of the many military organizations already experimenting with VR haptic gloves, recognizing their value as an ideal training tool. But what exactly makes these gloves so effective for military training?
VR haptic gloves are wearable devices that let users interact intuitively in virtual reality scenarios. By providing tactile feedback on the hands, they allow trainees to touch, grab, squeeze and manipulate virtual objects just like they would in real life, without needing to hold traditional controllers. This hands-on approach is especially valuable in defense training, where mastering procedural tasks is crucial.
With this in mind, the Dutch Ministry of Defense experimented with SenseGlove VR haptic gloves to teach soldiers how to assemble a satellite receiver, avoiding damaging expensive equipment and letting soldiers learn the necessary procedures.
But these gloves are not just for technical training. VR haptic gloves are also helping soldiers master life-saving battlefield procedures. ECS has developed Care Under Fire training scenarios with VR haptics, allowing U.S. soldiers to practice emergency medical response under extreme combat conditions. With the Nova 2 VR haptic gloves, trainees feel the tension of a tourniquet, grip medical tools and learn to make split-second decisions—all while in a high-stress yet controlled combat simulation.
How are VR haptic gloves improving military training?
Beyond enhancing immersion in virtual training, VR haptic gloves provide real, tangible training benefits to the defense industry in many ways:
- Reduced training costs: Military training comes at a heavy price. For reference, it costs the U.S. Army between 55.000 and 74.000 USD to send a recruit through basic and advanced individual training. VR haptics reduces the need for large-scale and expensive physical setups and brings logistic costs down while still providing soldiers with quality training.
- Scalable and adaptable learning: VR haptics allows for the creation of customized scenarios to meet the needs of different military organizations and roles, getting soldiers ready for unexpected combat situations. These scenarios can also be deployed anytime, anywhere, allowing larger teams to train simultaneously and more frequently until they master procedures.
- Better learning outcomes: Rather than passively observing the how-to, VR haptic gloves let soldiers learn by physically reenacting procedures. VR haptic gloves let users feel virtual weapons, tools and equipment, performing precise movements with them just as they would in real life. This hands-on interaction strengthens muscle memory, reinforces procedural knowledge, and improves skill retention, ensuring soldiers can apply their training in real-world combat.
As military forces push for more effective and scalable training, VR haptic gloves are set to become a key pillar in modern defense preparation. With their ability to reduce costs, enhance skill retention, and provide mission-ready training, VR haptics are shaping the present and the future of military readiness.
Want to explore how haptic-enabled VR training can revolutionize your defense programs? Contact us to learn how SenseGlove can help make training more effective, scalable, and immersive.
