MCIV: From Ohio State University to First Responders

Virtual Reality (VR) Prepares First Responders for Mass Causalities

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MCIV: From Ohio State University to First Responders
Virtual RealityInsights

Published: June 7, 2021

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Rory Greener

MCIV is a training solution for first responders, which simulates disaster scenes and is headed by Vita Berezina-Blackburn, Motion Capture and Animation Specialist at Ohio State University (OSU).

Using Oculus Quest 2 headsets, trainees can step into simulated situations with limited virtual supplies, with trainees speaking to virtual characters to understand which victims need treatment first.

Pre-recorded motion capture performances offer realistic simulations and world-building, creating a personalised immersive experience for firefighters, police officers and healthcare professionals.

MCIV plans to release the solution this summer, with exams taking place at Ohio State’s Wexner Medical Center ahead of the launch.  

Simulated experiences without VR typically requires numerous actors, a large set, and higher costs.  

OSU Research into VR Storytelling

Before MCIV, OSU conducted a “Performance and Narrative in Virtual Reality” study.

Berezina-Blackburn, along with Alex Oliszewski, OSU Associate Professor at the Department of Theatre, and a group of OSU senior graduates, studied the application of immersive theatre and improvisation in room-scale VR.

The OSU team used various short VR prototypes with mocapped actors along with VR-tracked physical objects to create immersive world-building for therapeutic and training exercises.

A further study, the “VR Experience of Dementia” (VR-ED), simulated the early warning signs of dementia, with audience volunteers wearing VR headsets to virtually experience the effects of short-term memory loss and time disorientation.

The simulation also triggers changes in the environment and alters timeframes without the volunteers knowledge. A mocapped “operator” also plays the role of a carer to communicate with users as they struggle to interact with the shifting environment.

A powerful piece, the research into environmental and written storytelling aims to help others empathise with mental illnesses sufferers and reveal an immersive point of view that was previously impossible.

The performance can be seen on the ACCAD OSU’s Vimeo channel.

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