Use of the augmented REality sandtable (ARES) to enhance army CBRN training

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of the Augmented REality Sandtable (ARES) as a training tool during the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Captain’s Career Course (C3) Table Top Exercise (TTX). Two teams, one that used ARES and one that did not, were compared across a series of course assessments, knowledge acquisition tests, and self-reported questionnaires. The ARES team used the system to develop various map overlays, evaluate their proposed strategies while integrating feedback from the CBRN plume-transport and dispersion simulations, and brief their results to the course instructor for evaluation. Results reveal an overall positive perception of ARES in terms of supporting the development of course outputs. Recommendations for future iterations of the system were gathered from the ARES team following the TTX.