Virtual Afghan village as a low-cost environment for training cultural awareness in a military context

Abstract

While 3D virtual worlds, simulations, and serious games have been used for military training for a long time, there is a lack of research-based methods for using and creating such systems. In addition, the development process has traditionally been very resource consuming. The project Cultural Awareness in Military Operations seeks to address these challenges. The goal of the project has been to create and evaluate a low-cost, off the shelf, game-based simulation for training cultural awareness among military personnel in the Norwegian Armed Forces preparing for international operations. The project has also aimed at creating methodological guidelines and tools for developing 3D educational simulations for both military and civilian use. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.