The More, the Better? Improving VR Firefighting Training System with Realistic Firefighter Tools as Controllers

Abstract

A virtual reality (VR) controller plays a key role in supporting interactions between users and the virtual environment. This paper investigates the relationship between the user experience and VR control device modality. We developed a VR firefighting training system integrated with four control devices adapted from real firefighting tools. We iteratively improved the controllers and VR system through a pilot study with six participants and conducted a user study with 30 participants to assess two salient human factor constructs—perceived presence and cognitive load—with three device modality conditions (two standard VR controllers, four real tools, and a hybrid of one real tool and one standard VR controller). We found that having more realistic devices that simulate real tools does not necessarily guarantee a higher level of user experience, highlighting a strategic approach to the development and utilization of VR control devices. Our study gives empirical insights on establishing appropriate combinations of VR control device modality in the context of field-based VR simulation and training.

Air Force Pilot Expertise Assessment during Unusual Attitude Recovery Flight

“…Flight training simulations are therefore crucial to their ability to perform and deal with emergencies and unexpected situations. Flight training is characterized by a mixture of factors, such as training content, training environment, use of tools, procedures and decision making, which increase the complexity of training and entail many cognitive processes [4][5][6][7]. Pilot expertise can be measured through several tools.…”