Today, resource and time constraints mean law enforcement officers usually receive limited opportunities to train. Traditional law enforcement training is not just a scarce commodity, but is also static. Simply put, this training does not evolve fast enough to keep up with the realities of the public safety profession. Law enforcement officers require more frequent, dynamic training that better prepares them for high-stress situations in the field.

The solution? Axon VR. Axon VR is more than just a training tool. Axon VR immerses trainees in real-world scenarios, allowing officers to feel pressure and stress in a controlled environment. These trainings allow officers to perfect basic skills and practice de-escalation techniques before facing high-stress scenarios in the field. The Axon VR platform can be used anytime, anywhere, giving officers the ability to train more often.

True-to-life hardware

Last year, Axon introduced new TASER® 10™ and TASER 7™ Virtual Reality (VR) Controllers, allowing officers to build muscle memory on properly arming and deploying TASER energy weapons in the field. These controllers, built in partnership with virtual reality market leader HTC VIVE, provide agencies the ability to train with TASER energy weapons without spending budget on one-time-use training cartridges.

Over the past few months, these controllers – coupled with the new immersive TASER energy weapon skills exercises within Axon VR Simulator Training – have started rolling out to public safety agencies. Customers appreciate the ability to train anywhere, anytime, deploying many virtual TASER cartridges without cost to the agency.

New vRBT Live Action scenarios featuring Handgun VR Controllers

Axon VR’s Virtual Reality-Based Training Live Action focuses on crucial decision-making. These trainings combine live-action, 360-degree video overlaid with interactive computer generated imagery (CGI) elements with TASER 7, TASER 10 and new Handgun VR Controllers to provide officers with a highly immersive and realistic training experience. Primed with radio traffic from a dispatcher, trainees dive into high stress calls for service, demanding quick, critical decision-making ranging from issuing a TASER audible alert to deploying their TASER energy weapon or firearm, effectively equipping them for complex real-world scenarios.

Virtual Reality-Based Training (vRBT) Live Action enhances rapid visual assessment, de-escalation techniques, and hands-on technical proficiency with TASER and Handgun VR controllers. Over the coming months, Axon VR will release 13 of these vRBTs along with the all-new Handgun VR Controller.

The Handgun VR Controller is purpose-built for virtual reality and designed to work in conjunction with TASER VR Controllers. All Axon VR controllers are designed to be true-to-life and enable officers to train with similar equipment used in the real world – leading to enhanced proficiency in weapon transitions, use-of-force decisions and confidence under stress.

While vRBT Live-Action provides officers with weapons practice, the focus of this training is around strengthening de-escalation techniques and improving outcomes for both officers and suspects.

New TASER 10 VR Validation Course - TASER 10 VR Core I

Axon VR recently launched TASER 10 VR Core I, a validation course designed to integrate with TASER 10 certification and recertification programs. TASER 10 VR Core I leads trainees through four fundamental skills exercises designed to validate trainees' proficiency with TASER energy weapons. Measured against skill-based success criteria, participants validate their abilities in targeting at varying distances, while accounting for diverse clothing types, body positions and movements. Now, Axon VR training and TASER 10 are now intrinsically linked, and every TASER master instructor course includes VR training.

This course can be completed by trainees without the need for 1:1 trainer supervision; just a facilitator to help trainees get in headset and set up with the TASER VR Controller. We know that trainer time is precious and a high cost for agencies. Axon VR provides a simple, scalable way to increase training output since trainers can quickly test trainee proficiency. Additionally, through this validation course, trainees will deploy TASER 10 probes in VR on 40 different targets, which equates to more than $1,000 in real-world cartridges. Before these advances, TASER trainees would have limited experience with deploying a live TASER 10 due to budgetary limits on the number of cartridges that could be dedicated to training.

Training for a safer future

At Axon, we're driven by a powerful mission to Protect Life. In pursuit of this mission, Axon announced a moonshot goal to reduce gun-related deaths between police and the public in the US by 50% by 2033. Achieving this moonshot goal will mean improving public safety technology, training and trust. The Axon VR team is committed to continuously improving virtual reality technology, on-demand resources, certifications and immersive hands-on training experiences to empower public safety professionals to enhance their skill set and knowledge. Through this commitment, we can improve outcomes in the law enforcement profession and make the world a safer place. This is how we're moving towards safer outcomes for everyone involved.