GovWire

• VRAIs data capture technology, funded through the DASA Open Call, has the ability to codify and predict airmanship performance. This technology can be used to accelerate training time for RAF recruits.
• Additional funding secured through DASAs Defence Innovation Loan programme will help VRAI further develop the technology and prepare for commercialisation
• Run in partnership with Innovate UK, Defence Innovation Loans are designed to help SMEs develop and commercialise their mature defence solutions
• As part of the project, DASA provided guidance and helped VRAI test the system with the RAF and obtain vital military end user feedback

Virtual training has become an essential component of modern defence, ensuring armed forces personnel can train proficiencies at scale while reducing costs. However, capturing and analysing training data has been a persistent challenge in defence, particularly in areas such as airmanship data from trainee pilots.

Airmanship refers to the non-technical skills, and judgement required for aerial navigation. To operate an aircraft safely, it is vital that trainees are trained to a high standard to have good situational awareness, decision-making ability and aircraft knowledge.

However, there are numerous obstacles to assessing pilot airmanship. It is constrained by the availability of in-person instructors that can observe students, as each instructor can only manage two or three students at a time. It is also heavily reliant on subjective observation.

Introducing VRAI: Combining virtual reality technology with data capture

Newcastle-based SME, VRAI, which specialises in virtual reality (VR) simulation training and data capture, recognised the need to provide trainee pilots with personalised training plans and data-driven feedback, to help them achieve their maximum potential in a shorter amount of time.

With the help of DASA funding, VRAI developed a solution to enable the Royal Air Force (RAF) to better measure and predict trainee pilot performance, using a combination of VR and data capture technology, called HEAT.

HEAT, which has been used to train staff in an array of vertical industries, can capture and generate rich data sets from commercial off-the-shelf VR solutions, which enables the capability to capture and store pilot data from simulated flying tasks.

VRAIs data capture and analysis technology enables the RAF to train airmanship in future military pilots to a higher standard, faster, and in a more cost effective way.

It helps defence and security by:

• enabling instructors to train more students at the same time
• ensuring training performance is measure accurately
• ensuring good airmanship qualities can be codified, resulting is less subjective monitoring of student performance
• ensuring that students can readily self-assess their strengths and weaknesses against data
• enabling projections of trainee performance can be used to develop individualised training programmes
• enabling instructors to focus on more value added tasks when training students

Testing helps VRAI collect 1 billion airmanship data points with the RAF

VRAI submitted their innovative data capture solution to the DASA Open Call in 2020 and were awarded 348,000 in funding. DASA played a significant role in the project by offering VRAI guidance and helping them to test the system with the RAF, receiving valuable feedback from military end-users. The innovation was implemented at three RAF stations within a three-month timeframe, gathering nearly one billion data points from 40 RAF pilots, across the RAF 22 Group, and positive feedback from users.

During the testing, VRAI was able to collect valuable trainee data which can be used to standardise airmanship training and assessment, helping to significantly reduce the amount of time needed to train quality pilots.

Flying towards commercialisation: Defence Innovation Loans

With an eye towards the future, VRAI secured a Defence Innovation Loan to the value of 544,742, to further develop their innovation and market readiness.

They will use these funds, to apply machine learning (ML) to the innovation in order to generate more robust actionable insights to further develop trainees, while also ensuring the RAF can utilise the system for self-training. To help with this, VRAI will also use the funding to develop customised dashboard metrics relating to airmanship.

Niall Campion, Founder of VRAI said:

We believe the technology were developing with this funding will allow us to bring genuinely game changing advancements in how training is delivered and its success is measured.

Without DASA funding it would have been impossible for us to bring this product into the UK defence supply chain. By providing vital working capital while we demonstrate the value of the product in the defence industry, the Defence Innovation Loan will help us grow our business and deliver measurable improvements to training across both defence and other simulation markets.

UPDATE: VRAI reaching new heights

VRAI have continued to soar since working with DASA, securing a 288,000 contract to develop a data driven tactical simulator for the Multi Launch Rocket System (MLRS) which is based in the 101 Royal Artillery Regiment in the North East of England. The project, which was funded through the DASA 1st Customer Fund, will enable the British Army to collect user performance data in order to improve crew performance while reducing the cost and carbon footprint of training.

VRAI also recently announced plans to work with BAE Systems to harness the power of extended reality and artificial intelligence to enhance the training of fast jet pilots. BAE Systems will integrate VRAIs HEAT data capture technology, which captures, analyses and visualises simulator data, in to a deployable simulator for a Hawk aircraft, the worlds most proven and successful fast jet trainer. The project is funded through the Ministry of Defences Defence Technology Exploitation Programme (DTEP), which works to foster collaboration between small and medium-sized enterprises suppliers with leading defence companies.

Anita Friend, Head of DASA, said:

VRAI is helping deliver exciting new innovations to the UK defense supply chain in crucial areas such as AI and training simulation, helping the MOD continuously enhance its capabilities while also fostering its business growth.

DASA is delighted to see the emergence of VRAIs partnership with BAE, a direct outcome of DASAs DTEP program. DTEP allows larger partner companies to benefit from early access to innovative technologies, materials, or processes from SMEs, that they can also help commercialise.

Need help bringing your defence innovation to market?

One of DASAs main financial mechanisms to support with business readiness and the commercialisation of innovations is through the Defence Innovation Loans programme. Run in partnership with Innovate UK, these are designed to help growth-minded SMEs develop and commercialise their mature defence solutions and in doing so, tackle some of the challenges businesses face in moving from technology development to product and company scale up.

Defence Innovation Loans Key points:

• Exclusively for SMEs
• Innovations must be at Technology Readiness Level 6 or above
• Loans from 100,000 - 2 million
• Loans can cover up to 100% of project costs to aid commercialisation of the solution
• Below market interest rate
• In partnership with Innovate UK

Learn more about Defence Innovation Loans here and submit an application.