An immersive virtual reality platform for training CBRN operators

In the domain of CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear) hazards, first responders need a high-quality training to avoid fatal errors that can compromise the success of operations. Nevertheless, CBRN exercises are often expensive and require a complex management. Furthermore, for preserving trainees’ safety and for logistic constraints, trials may reproduce just an approximation of the real hazard scenario. In order to cope with these issues, a prototype of an Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) training platform was developed by Politecnico di Torino and LINKS Foundation in cooperation with CBRN experts from the Italian Air Force, particularly from Terzo Stormo – Aeronautica Militare di Villafranca di Verona. The platform aims at allowing CBRN operators to train, alone or in a team, testing their ability to carry out required operational procedures in a digital environment that exhibits the complexity of a real-life situation, but does not expose them to life-threatening dangers.