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20 The PCB Magazine • September 2016 • Mapping out a real war. Recently Joe Wileman, a researcher at the National Geospatial- Intelligence Agency (NGA), has reportedly said that discussions "have just started" between the NGA's immersion researchers and mobile app develop- ers. The plan is to use a drone or even a handheld smartphone to reconstruct a war zone. At HQ, offi- cials wearing an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive could see the field before them. On-the-ground details could be given a panoramic view for experts thousands of miles away. Perhaps soon, using MR a solder could train by being placed in a virtual battleground that he would soon visit in real life. The uses of VR in the military are numerous and seemingly growing exponentially. The closest application to, and advanced by the PC gaming industry, is the use of VR to prepare soldiers for a real, live combat situation. Just as a gamer would learn the intricacies of battle and the environ- ment in which they will be fighting in order to win his/her game, the soldier has to learn to deal with unexpected events, such as a failed weapon, an unexpected attack, or a situation where a com- rade becomes injured and a response is needed. It is vitally important that they become as comfort- able as possible reacting to dangerous settings and unexpected situations where the wrong decision or a non-practiced flinch action could mean the difference between life and death for the individ- ual as well as their comrades. A new innovation for the navy is the virtual torpedo. A fleet of submarines is equipped with an on-board simulator which is connected to synthetic targets. The software enables the train- ee crew to fire a virtual torpedo at a synthetic target as part of a training exercise. The resulting data is then analyzed and used as part of feed- back during the training process. Again, the abil- ity to do it over and over again in order to get it right with low expenditure of resources. Yes, setting up a VR/AR training center is ex- pensive for the military, as is updating training software on a regular basis, but just as with com- mercial aviation where the use of MR has been a "can't do without" technology the value to the military for combat training, battle prepara- tion and rehearsal, medical care and weapon use training and weapon effectiveness the payback on that investment will pay huge dividends in mission effectiveness and lifesaving techniques. It is already in use and proving its worth, and that is just with older technology. Can you imag- ine what will happen with the use of technology that is right around the corner? PCB Reference 1. Virtual Reality Society Dan Feinberg is owner and president of FeinLine Associates, Inc. In addition, Dan is a technology editor for I-Connect007. To visit his columnist page or to contact him, click here. DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES—VR, AR AND STAR TREK