Immersives Training in einer mobilen, viertuellen Umgebung : Erstellung und Evaluation von Trainingsszenarien für Rettungskräfte

Leaders of First Responder Units need a lot of training to accomplish their tasks fast, confident and correct. But realistic training scenarios demand much time and resources and result in high costs. Therefore, real trainings are outnumbered in the education. The usage of Virtual Reality (VR) is introduced as solution for this problem. Its technology offers the possibility of realistic immersiv training simulations. Mobile solutions can additionally increase comfort and preparation time. This thesis should answer the question, how VR training scenarios have to be designed to allow an effective training. A software prototype was built, which was tested by Firefighters and Paramedics. The subjects could navigate inside the virtual environment by a regular gamepad or by an omnidirectional treadmill. The task was to explore a scenario, get an impression of the situation and give orders to solve the situation. The tests were evaluated using quantitative and qualitative methods. There was a high interest in this new form of training possibility and the subjects saw high potential for useful training. An omnidirectional treadmill can simulate stress and exhaustion during a mission. Furthermore, it can minimize the negative effects of using VR systems, often referenced as Cybersickness. The gamepad provided a cheap but mobile alternate control method with short familiarization time. The virtual environment was able to visualize all elements needed for a proper mission assessment. Graphics quality was judged as adequate and the movements and speech of the virtual people were found very helpful.