Principled Design of an Augmented Reality Trainer for Medics

Recent advances in augmented reality (AR) offer valuable opportunities for simulationbased training outside of a medical simulator facility. The potential benefits for combat casualty care training are particularly powerful, as over 100,000 U.S. military medical personnel must be prepared to quickly respond to a broad range of injuries at any point in time. We propose to develop and evaluate a high-fidelity, portable, simulation-based training technology that will allow medics to participate in refresher training anywhere in the world using a mannequin and an augmented reality (AR) headset. Initial training modules will focus on identification and treatment of common causes of preventable death such as tension pneumothorax and airway obstruction. We have assembled a team led by Unveil, creator of the ChironTM augmented reality trainer; and including ITTS, producer of the TOMManikin; and SHAI, leader in intelligent tutoring tutoring technology. Colleagues from The Ohio State University Medical School will serve as academic partner, providing subject matter expertise, and leading the evaluation effort. This team will address technical challenges associated with taking AR training to the next level in terms of providing a high-fidelity yet portable learning experience, and theoretical challenges associated with conducting a meaningful evaluation.