Stryker, Talon programs only for Soldiers
Some government applications, not available to the general public, are a fundamental way to provide the hands-on skills to Soldiers in a realistic fashion, said Bill Davis, executive producer, America’s Army future applications.
These applications include the Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle and the Talon Robot, which has been used in both Iraq and Afghanistan to destroy improvised explosive devices.
Davis said he worked with an Explosive Ordnance Detachment sergeant that had no interest in using a game – until he agreed to try it and realized it was a great training tool.
“When I sold it to the Soldier, that told me it was real,” Davis said.
Dr. Mark Sabol, research psychologist from the Army Research Institute, tried the America’s Army version of the Talon Robot for the first time at the summit.
“It seems very realisitic,” Sabol said. “It’s apparently a lot like what real users would see when doing their job.”
Future programs in the works
Other applications are being developed constantly at the America’s Army future applications site in Picatinny, N.J.
“We replicated the function of the XM-25 Air Burst Assault Weapon and put it on the screen for training,” Davis said.
As they further develop each application, they intend to upgrade them to include more scenarios, he said.
America’s Army was launched July 4, 2002, and the public version is free for download at www.americasarmy.com.
Soldiers can register to have the Army star next to their virtual persona so others playing the game know they are playing with a real Soldier, Wardynski said.
