Multisensory Wargames

Several months back, we told you about Virtual Iraq, a modified version of the popular video game Full Spectrum Warrior being tested by the United States Department of Defense which augmented the sights and sounds of battle with the use of scent. Now, British soldiers being deployed to the Middle East may also soon be able to take an authentic walk through hostile territories before they set foot out of their own country.

The UK’s Ministry of Defense has invested £20,000 in development of the new virtual battleground, being pioneered by the Human Interface Technologies team at the University of Birmingham. Like Virtual Iraq, the UK version uses a “smell box” working in conjunction with a large plasma screen. As the user “walks” through various scenarios, the graphics and sounds are supplemented with scents such as body odor, sewage, mutton, spices, and gunpowder. Preliminary testing on the new system will first be carried out using students, who will provide feedback on the realism of the smells and be tested to determine whether the smells improve their memory of various elements of the game. “If our research proves that it works, come 2009, we will start trying it out on real soldiers,” says Professor Bob Stone, who has been researching and developing game-based training at the university for five years. “It could be rolled out across all the services. It would be Brit soldiers who would benefit.”

And, as with Virtual Iraq, the possibility of treating Post Traumatic Stress Disorder with the new system is being considered. “Smell is so closely linked to emotion and memory, it’s something that we need to take seriously,” says Professor Stone, who also believes the device might be up for sale to the general public within two to three years. “There is no doubt in my mind that the games companies are looking for an inexpensive version for the domestic market.”