SimX, a virtual reality (VR) medical simulation company, has been awarded a $750,000 contract by the United States Air Force. The contract entails the development of a VR medical support training for the Air Force’s Critical Care Air Transport Teams (CCATT) and Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) personnel. This project will aim to create a realistic, fully immersive aeromedical training that can enhance rapid, effective decision-making across the total Air Force.
The SimX VR Medical Simulation System (VRMSS) is already in use across the Air Force for tactical combat casualty care training. This new project, funded through the Air Force’s Small Business Innovation Research program, will focus on adapting the current technology to include an AE/CCATT-specific training. This includes capabilities such as working in an aircraft environment and with medical sets, kits, and outfits. In addition, the project will produce a comprehensive VR scenario-based training curriculum for Air Force personnel.
VR medical support training to develop en-route care
The VR medical support training will be developed in collaboration with the Air Mobility Command, with subject matter expertise from the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine. Maj Sarah Johnson, Deputy Chief of the Medical Modernization Division of Air Mobility Command and Air Force technical point of contact, said that the goal of this project is to increase overall medical capability for aeromedical evacuation and CCATT through enhanced training capabilities for the sustainment of readiness.
CCATT and AE units are highly specialized interprofessional teams. They can provide up to an intensive care unit (ICU) level of care onboard an aircraft, to preserve the life of a critically ill or injured patient during transportation. The project aims to create new capabilities with a training that delivers the outcomes faster, more frequent, effective and much cheaper. The VR medical support training should enable better medical outcomes for en-route care in both military and civilian settings.
SimX’s CTO expresses excitement for collaboration
“SimX is thrilled to be working with the Air Force to advance the state of medical simulation training for en-route care,” said Karthik V Sarma PhD, Principal Investigator of the effort and Chief Technology Officer of SimX. The project will be housed within SimX’s Virtual Advancement of Learning for Operational Readiness program.
