Take a moment and imagine responding to the following scenario: a male and female are having a loud verbal argument in a parking lot, which quickly escalates into a physical confrontation. As fists are flying and objects are seen in hands, how important do you think it would be, as the officer, to see what those objects are? Or how about getting a good view at their body language and facial features before the fight escalated?
This example is one of VirTra’s virtual police training scenarios, called “Lover’s Quarrel”. Fortunately for our customers, this scenario—and many others—are displayed in 4K resolution so trainees can see the finest, high-quality details while in the simulator. This is important because law enforcement simulation training must reflect reality, including the ability to see critical details, rather than forcing trainees to interpret blurry objects.
After all, the low-resolution law enforcement simulation training other companies provide creates a guessing game—a dangerous game to play in officer training.
The Work Behind 4K Police Training
VirTra is entirely dedicated to providing the best training for our officers. So much so that we have invested thousands of dollars into purchasing high-end film equipment and in using professional actors. In turn, these assets—especially the professional-grade cameras—create powerfully realistic video that become our scenarios.
By more accurately reproducing objects and subjects, especially subtle visual details, body language and non-verbal threat cues, VirTra’s 4K simulators more perfectly replicate simulations of real-world encounters. As stated previously, it is critical for officers to see minute body cues and small objects, as these details could give away the subject’s next move.
Complete Dedication
4K high-resolution police training took time, but was an investment well made. VirTra started preparing to utilize future 4K resolution displays around seven years ago with the goal of replacing human visual acuity to the best of our technological abilities. Since officers rely heavily on their vision, upgrading to 4K was a critical step to ensure our simulators are as realistic and effective as possible.
However, 4K came with unique difficulties. As Bob Ferris, VirTra’s Chairman and CEO, stated in the initial 4K product release: “To bring these enhancements to market, our software engineering and digital content teams overcame severe technical challenges to enable human-eye resolution with video-based, interactive training content without any perceptible lag or noticeable visual artifacts across multiple screens.”
VirTra’s goal is to provide the best simulation training to law enforcement officers worldwide. This means crossing into new territory, overcoming technical difficulties and investing thousands of hours and dollars. But in the end, the product—and our better-trained officers—make it worth it.
To learn more about 4K, or to schedule a demonstration, contact a VirTra specialist.
