Aussie VR brand xReality has inked a three-month deal with the Los Angeles Police Department’s (LAPD) SWAT team, supplying the law enforcement department with its operation simulation VR tech.
Starting in February, the SWAT team will be trialling xReality’s virtual reality tactical training solution, named Operator XR, for the next three months.
According to xReality, who also owns indoor skydiving brand iFly, the trial will integrate Operator XR technology into the current SWAT training program, gathering more sustained exposure to team members and commanders, to assess the most appropriate fit for the technology.
This gear will help the SWAT team with operational tactics and procedures such as active shooter scenarios, hostage rescues and crisis interventions which xReality said can be difficult to train for using traditional methods.
The Operator XR tech is produced for defence and law enforcement around the world, developed in-house by the xReality Group brand, Red Cartel, and specialises in operational simulation products.
Martin Beck at the LAPD SWAT said the three-month trial will help them understand how this technology can “complement” its current training programs and “enhance” the public safety outcomes.
Law enforcement using futuristic-like technology isn’t new by any means. Last year Interpol announced it would be creating a “global police metaverse”, which is still up and running, despite the drop in popularity around metaverse technology.
This is not the first American-based partnership xReality has had, it signed its first U.S.-based deal with Garfield County Sheriff’s Office in Colorado last August.
Closer to home, xReality Group is also working with WA Police and the Australian Department of Defence. xReality Group owns VR experience companies Freak and Red Cartel.
Image: xReality