The V-Armed leadership team was proud to be invited to the first annual International Virtual Reality conference in Antwerp, Belgium. Twelve countries sent law enforcement training representatives from all over Europe to attend this groundbreaking event where keynote speakers and practical demonstrations drove critical conversations regarding the use of VR simulation in police training.
What made this event even more unique and worth attending for the guests was the fact it was hosted by the Antwerp Police Department at their new state of the art headquarters. And the cornerstone of it all is their 6,000 square foot virtual reality training facility, installed by V-Armed. “The nice thing about this facility in Antwerp is that it was planned from the start to be a VR training hall,” said V-Armed CEO, Ezra Kraus who attended the conference. “And there’s a lot of benefits in doing that – it’s beautiful, it’s large, it really answers all the needs for VR training.”
Keynote speakers included Günter Dauwen of the Campus Vesta emergency service training center in Belgium, as well as the Antwerp police commissioner, Maarten Vandenhende. Topics ranged from the benefits and best practices for police agencies to work with VR, to tips for maximizing the decision making and planning process when purchasing the right virtual training system for law enforcement agencies.
After the attendees were given a thorough tour of the beautiful new police headquarters, they headed into the Virtual Reality Training Center to experience a variety of real-world scenarios that the Antwerp police prepare themselves with in VR. Up to 10 participants can use the system at once with a full complement of force options and accessories – making the transition from training to situations in the field as seamless as possible. The experience was followed by a review of the After Action recording of the training scenarios as well as a walkthrough of the V-Armed system editing and scenario building capabilities.
As virtual reality training in police agencies grows and becomes more mature, gatherings like the International VR Conference will be crucial to share experience and knowledge to elevate police training into the future.
To learn more about how V-Armed supports law enforcement agencies with virtual reality training systems, visit www.v-armed.com/law-enforcement
