Cubic has used its real-world expertise in combat training to create a new system that relies on the unreal world of virtual reality to convey its lessons.

"Ready for training - any time, any place" is the slogan for the system, called COMBATREDI®. It was designed to address the evolving training requirements of the dismounted soldier without the need for a dedicated facility. It allows trainees to be immersed in a virtual battle space for squad- and platoon-level training and mission rehearsals almost anywhere.

Cubic showcased COMBATREDI in December at the Interservice/ Industry Simulation, Education and Training Conference in Orlando. The system features a high-definition helmet-mounted OLED video display that delivers gaming-quality performance with a 60-by-45-degree field of view. Realistic graphics allow trainees to move through the virtual environment, even entering buildings, as if it were real. Sound effects and commands are heard through an integrated 3-D stereo headset with a microphone.

"It puts you in a 360-degree world. It's endless in the way you can maneuver," said Mark Saturno, director of business development for Cubic’s Simulation Systems Division, which is based in Orlando. The heart of the system is a small and lightweight REDITAC® tactical computer worn on a soldier's back. It has an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, two gigabytes of DDR2 RAM memory and a solid-state hard drive for rugged use.

A suite of sensors determines if the user is standing, kneeling or lying on the ground, which changes the point of view in the display. A wireless "surrogate" rifle permits realistic firearms training. It requires magazine changes and selecting safety or firing mode just as a real weapon would. Cubic has a long history in air and ground combat training systems, but this is its first based entirely on virtual reality.

Brad Feldmann, President of Cubic Defense Applications, describes the company's approach as "fusing soldier-tech with the latest consumer electronics and gaming technologies."