SURVIVR awarded SBIR Phase III contract to provide Virtual Reality training to US Air Force

In Virtual Reality News

September 2, 2020 – SURVIVR, a provider of virtual reality (VR) training solutions for police and security forces, has recently been awarded a Phase III SBIR contract by the US Department of Defense (DoD) to provide its VR training platform to the US Air Force (USAF).

The contract began on August 25, 2020, with an initial award amount of USD $229,500. The end date of the contract has the potential to continue on until August 2025, with a full potential award amount of just over USD $2 million.

SURVIVR’s VR training solution can support multiple users in the same simulation, and the company states it has worked with US security forces in the past to help them train for officer safety, de-escalation, the use of force, and protocol.

The company’s platform consists of both a software and hardware solution, which respectively includes immersive VR training environments, and realistic training weapons such as assault rifles and handguns that act as controllers for user interaction within VR. SURVIVR also states that it strives to “offer every duty handgun in existence.” Additionally, it offers several other duty weapons and tools for use within a VR environment, such as shotguns and pepper Spray.

SURVIVR’s platform comes with the following:

• Instructor VR Desktop System;
• SURVIVR’s proprietary software;
• High Definition Wireless VR Headset;
• Proprietary voice input system for suspect control;
• Post scenario playback analysis system;
• Eye-tracking capabilities;
• Multi-User connectivity;
• Subwoofers and speakers for increased realism;
• Environment scanning capabilities.

The company, based in Dallas, Texas, will be working with the USAF to offer VR training across multiple Air Force bases, providing Airmen with an immersive solution that doesn’t disrupt the day to day operations of the base. The contract will see SURVIVR deliver its standard product, but will also include custom enhancements depending on the different requirements for each base’s specific needs – for example, certain specific simulated environments.

Commenting on the Phase III SBIR award, Loren Bolton, VP of Marketing at SURVIVR, said: “SURVIVR is proud to have been awarded a Phase III SBIR contract and we look forward to continuing our work with the DoD and the US Air Force. This award will continue the growth of SURVIVR and strengthens our market validation for our simulator’s use across security forces and law enforcement agencies.”

For more information on SURVIVR and its VR training solutions, please visit the company’s website.

Image credit: SURVIVR

About the author

Sam Sprigg

Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.