[Courtesy of the National Institute of Chemical Safety ]
SEOUL -- A state chemical safety research institute will test operate South Korea's first virtual reality training center to put chemical specialists, police and firefighters in realistic situations such as a chemical terror attack or a massive biochemical substance leak inside a factory. The VR center will be used for teaching civilians and students how to counteract and survive in grim situations.
VR training centers are widely adopted around the world to have specialists learn and train against disastrous situations. Such training facilities are very useful as VR technology helps simulate life-like situations using special effects that involve sprays of water, gusts of wind and bursts of fire.
The National Institute of Chemical Safety said in a statement on April 29 that it would test operate a VR center on May 1 to train a special police team, firefighters, and other emergency workers. The center is the first of its kind in South Korea to simulate chemical terror attacks.
"Through the development of a VR training center, we are now able to train specialists against chemical disasters as well as terror attacks," Shin Chang-hyun, head of the institute's training bureau, was quoted as saying.
The center can simulate a raid on an illegal explosive workshop. Trainees wearing hazmat suits, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) suits, and battle dress uniforms can disassemble explosives and booby traps, detox and retrieve chemical evidence. The training room capable of accommodating up to eight personnel is equipped with 72 motion-detecting cameras, 15 backpack PCs, and 15 head-mounted displays (HMDs).
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
