Crytek’s CryEngine 3 technology, which we’ve seen most recently in the company’s own Crysis 2, is the driving force behind a $US57 million project from the US Army aimed at teaching its soldiers how to fight.
While virtual battlefields have long been a staple of military training, the new Dismounted Soldier Training System (DSTS) looks to blow previous efforts out of the water, using the latest in gaming tech to give soldiers one hell of a realistic video game experience training ground run.
The DSTS isn’t a simple game played on a PC or console. It’s a full virtual experience, with soldiers donning a vest and helmet (both lined with cameras, vibrators and sensors) and then standing on a 3m x 3m foot pad, which is also full of sensors.
This means the experience is almost fully motion-controlled, and instead of being projected on a screen, the program’s visuals are displayed on a pair of virtual reality goggles attached to the soldier’s helmet.
CryEngine 3 comes into it with its ability to model not just infantry combat but vehicle and aircraft controls as well, and also display wildly different terrain and weather conditions.
The DSTS is expected to go into service next year, with around 100 units available for training.
[via GamePro]
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