Virtual Reality Serious Game Prototype for Presenting Military Units

Abstract

In recent years, the popularity of serious games is increasing due to ability to learn by doing and practicing different skills by using game-based mechanisms. At the same time, virtual reality (VR) games are making a comeback. Military organizations use both serious games and VR to train users on how to fire a gun or to help soldiers with posttraumatic stress disorder treatment. The paper presents serious game enabling cadets to be better acquainted with specific military unit before deciding which one to enroll in during their military engineering study. The VR serious game prototype is developed in Unity game engine for Oculus Rift headset and Leap Motion sensor device. The main goal of the prototype is to analyze the potential of serious games application in the education of cadets of the military engineering study as well as to evaluate their satisfaction. Prototype scenes present chosen military units. Users can navigate through the scenes and interact with the virtual world using their hands. The prototype is developed in the cooperation of cadets and students of electrical engineering and computing. In addition, based on the user satisfaction questionnaires results, a conclusion has been drawn that virtual reality has great potential for military education.