In our unique United Nations Mines Action Service, we set out to deliver our most cinematic VR experience to date. The end is a tension-filled experience that tests the observation skills, patience and leadership of those willing to take the challenge.
The UNMAS (United Nations Mine Action Service) mission in Somalia focuses around counter IED (improvised explosive device) training for soldiers in the AMSOM (African Union Mission in Somalia) with a view to reopening MSR (Main supply routes) to FOBs (Forward operating bases).
Our first challenge was to work out how best to immerse people in this story. How could we show people, both inside and outside Somalia, the challenges and dangers face by these solders every day? It seemed an obvious use-case for VR to us – By putting the participants in the soldier’s boots they could see, hear and feel what the soldiers face as they go about this very dangerous, and dare we say, heroic work.
Filming took place in Mogadishu in March 2018. It was important to us that we fully understood the terrain and wanted to authentically experience first-hand what these UNMAS workers do. We travelled in a convoy through Mogadishu to one of AMISOMs Forward Operating Bases about 30Km from the city. The end result is a tension-filled experience that tests the observation skills, patience and leadership of those willing to take the challenge.
A greater empathy for, or awareness of, the threats faced by UNMAS troops from IEDs when on patrol in Somalia.
Our first challenge was to work out how best to immerse people in this story. How could we show people, both inside and outside Somalia, the challenges and dangers face by these solders every day? It seemed an obvious use-case for VR to us – By putting the participants in the soldier’s boots they could see, hear and feel what the soldiers face as they go about this very dangerous, and dare we say, heroic work.
Filming took place in Mogadishu in March 2018. It was important to us that we fully understood the terrain and wanted to authentically experience first- hand what these UNMAS workers do. We travelled in a convoy through Mogadishu to one of AMISOMs Forward Operating Bases about 30Km from the city. The end result is a tension-filled experience that tests the observation skills, patience and leadership of those willing to take the challenge.
A greater empathy for, or awareness of, the threats faced by UNMAS troops from IEDs when on patrol in Somalia.
From a Quantitative perspective, the independently estimated savings per 12 student gunnery course, assuming just 3 days of simulation use, are:
Savings on fuel, ammo, instructor & support staff.
of reduction of CO2 from armoured vehicle driving.
Improved efficiency and operational capacity with 81 man days & 52 vehicle days returned to the organisation.
From a Qualitative perspective, the user reported improvements in interviews are:
Knowledge retention has improved from 30% per training session to 80%.
Ease of actioning insights from AARs increased from 60% to 100%, and student confidence post training session increased from 60% to 100%
Better instructor oversight with one customer has seen their instructor to student ratio increased from 1:3 to 1:12, when using the simulator.
Download the case study conducted by the Learnovate Applied Research Centre here for more detail on these results.
