13 Jun 2024

Event round-up - Are Synthetic Environments and Immersive Technologies the new military operating environment?

On 22 May, techUK held its latest event exploring the use of synthetic environments and immersive technologies in defence and national security.

Synthetic environments and immersive technologies are increasingly vital for military training across all domains. Their growing usage in both platform and collective training underscores their importance.

Recent technological advancements and more sophisticated software are expanding their utility. These technologies now play a crucial role in mission planning, rehearsal, and execution by offering enhanced immersive experiences and facilitating complex, multi-source inputs. This integration allows for rapid simulation of various scenarios, aiding decision-makers in real time.

Employing these technologies can significantly improve operational outcomes while reducing resources such as time, personnel, and equipment.

Our panellists delved into these technologies, where they are being deployed, how their development and use are expected to evolve, and what implications this may have for future military operating environments.


Webinar recording


Panellists

 


Key points

  • Sir Richard Barrons provided an overview of synthetic and immersive environments. These environments can be used for situational awareness and training and can encompass all defence-related work. They also facilitate collaboration with the government, partners, and the public.
  • Bruce Hedley discussed the challenges confronting the defence industry. He noted that training procedures within the forces are hindering innovation and change. There is a lack of adoption of new technologies and innovation, highlighting the need for a digital infrastructure. Additionally, there is an issue with the industry's ability to produce at scale and speed while working in collaboration with defence.
  • Mimi Keshani discussed the challenges of creating synthetic environments. Currently, procurement makes it hard to purchase the necessary equipment, and implementation is also difficult. While some challenges are related to technology, most of them involve a cultural shift. It's important for these technologies to be user-friendly and support natural language processing. Even though these technologies are already in use, the process of adoption is slow.

Meet the team 

Rory Daniels

Rory Daniels

Senior Programme Manager, Emerging Technologies

Raya Tsolova

Programme Manager, techUK


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