To Survive in a CBRN Hostile Environment: Application of CAVE Automatic Virtual Environments in First Responder Training

This paper is of a conceptual nature and focuses on the use of a specific virtual reality environment in civil-military training. We analyzed the didactic potential of so-called CAVE automatic virtual environments for First Responder training, a type of training that fills the gap between First Aid training and the training received by emergency medical technicians. Since real training involves live drills based on unexpected situations, it is expensive and difficult to organize. We propose the application of virtual environments of three different sizes to increase the effectiveness of First Responder training. Our findings show that using the CAVEs allows for easier adaptation of the learning environment to a specific scenario while reducing costs from preparing training fields. The environments are also safer for trainees who must perform tasks related to hazardous materials. The analysis was based on the facilities at the Immersive 3D Visualization Lab (I3DVL) at Gdańsk University of Technology in Poland. We believe that, in the context of emerging threats of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear terrorism, such training is a necessity. The application of artificial intelligence can be considered as a further step in the facility development to increase the training fidelity.