Virtual reality may be used to train B'lore cops

It is a trend in the developed countries to train the police using top-end technology to deal with real-life exigencies. While it can ensure the targeted training, it also helps in the effective and quick deployment of the forces when the situation requires. Virtual reality helps one to experience the real situation.

How are the policemen trained to handle riot situations or manage crowds? Most often the policemen do not face a real-life riot till there is a riot. Use of hi-tech to cut losses among the policemen too may become a reality.

EDS Technologies Pvt Ltd, the Bangalore-headquartered Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions and service provider, had made a presentation to some of their target audience in Bangalore, which included police officials. The solutions could help in a more effective training of policemen with the use of virtual reality.

An untrained policeman could over-react or be not effective enough in dealing with a situation that he may perhaps be facing for the first time in life.

What if the person had been able to mentally go through the stress of being in such a situation? He would then be able to react more rationally. Here comes in virtual reality with using softwares that would help a person go through all the situations that would require him to use force, be it a violent mob or an out of control crowd.

The US defence forces have been using virtual reality to the maximum extent possible to train their forces with virtual war games.

When put through a high stress situation, the policemen may end up over-reacting. This may also lead to cries of disproportionate use of force to deal with an emergent situation as often is the case. "A well-trained force will not use more than the required kind of force to deal with a situation that might require the use of force," said a police officer.

S Senthil, president, EDS Technologies Pvt Ltd, said, "Virtual reality is not only being used by the defence forces today for training. Police too are being trained through virtual technology in many countries."

Through immersion, a process where a person can virtually go through real-life stress situations that a policeman faces during duty, the person can be trained more effectively, said Senthil.

Presagis, a US software firm, which makes modelling and simulation software offers a range of solutions for efficiently developing tailored modelling, simulation and embedded applications. These creates three-dimensional topographies that help people train with regard to situations where there is destruction involved. While it is cost-effective, it does not cause any losses.

The software that allows the police to be trained under various situations and circumstances could go into training the Bangalore policemen too.

An official from the Bangalore police said, "Such a software could help in faster training and deployment of the police forces when required. But, this will require a mindset change."

The trainee can be put through multiple scenarios and multiple situations. The software allows for immersion, or the feeling of being directly in the field of action, is one tool employed to train people having to deal with such situations.