Virtual Experiment Training System (VETS) for Substance

Dual, Incorporated proposes to investigate the development of an exciting, innovative educational system, called the Virtual Experiential Training System (VETS). VETS will use emerging mult- sensory interaction, 3D rendering, and other simulation technologies to enable an individual to become personally involved in a participatory learning experience. The system's pilot learning experience is the critical area of substance abuse awareness. To be effective, education and training in this area must be informative and have sufficient impact on the individual to affect future behavior. The proposed system has two primary modes of operation: (1) Instructional - to observe the effects of substance abuse on the individual's major body organs and systems; and, (2) Interactive - provides tasks to be performed in simulated altered states. Phase I objectives include: assessing substance abuse programs and emerging virtual technologies to identify needs and promising virtual solutions, investigate and select virtual experiential system features, and demonstrate the technical feasibility of the system. Phase II involves the design implementation of a VETS prototype and assessment of its educational effectiveness. During Phase III, DUAL refines its prototype into a commercial system for a variety of environments and adapts the system configuration for related commercial and government training applications.