VIRTUAL reality technology is assisting Air Force medical professionals to prepare for aeromedical evacuation missions.
RAAF Base Amberley’s Health Occupational Conversion Unit (HOCU) BlueRoom is a mixed-reality simulator created by Australian company Real Response.
It enables ADF evacuation crew members to use real medical equipment while directing emergency medical response procedures within a virtual environment.
Air Commander Glen Braz and Air Command Warrant Officer Stephen Weaver recently toured the Amberley facility and said they were impressed by the innovation and improvement this technology offers.
“This new BlueRoom takes our medical training to the next level,” Air Commander Braz said.
“The experience this technology provides our aviators is vitally important – particularly given Air Force medical professionals can be called into any situation at a moment’s notice.”
Flight Lieutenant Ben James, who is part of the team that oversaw the installation of the project at HOCU, said he was excited by the new development.
“The BlueRoom is a collaborative effort that delivers training to medical officers, nursing officers and medical technicians,” Flight Lieutenant James said.
“The facility will be used in training for aeromedical evacuation teams, who are specialist retrieval nurses and medical officers for critically ill patients.
“This technology reduces the need to train on an actual aircraft and minimises the time our specialist reservists have to be away from their civilian career – while providing them with the best training possible.”
The technology, which uses technology like that used in movie special effects, provides high fidelity and real-time training on a “real flight” in a C-130J Hercules.
“A ‘real flight’ on a C-130J is conducted in a simulation that combines physical components of the cargo area of a C-130J and a virtual picture that results in a highly realistic simulation set-up,” Flight Lieutenant James said.
“This real-time simulation includes the noise you might hear while working in an on-board aircraft environment and even the vibration you would feel through the floor.
“From this, we are able to run any number of training scenarios from routine in-flight patient care through to full resuscitation scenarios.”
The HOCU BlueRoom was opened by Commander Robert Graham last month.
