Police VR Training Cuts the Cable

While few people in the U.S. may not recognize the name Axon Enterprise, its chief products are a familiar (if concerning) sight to some. Axon used to be known as Taser, and despite the change of name in 2017, the company still sells Taser electroshock weapons and body cameras to police and law enforcement agencies across the country.In recent years, though, it has also expanded into virtual reality training. And yesterday, Axon expanded its offerings in that market by announcing its first wireless VR Simulator Training product, incorporating HTC’s new Vive Focus 3 headset. Going wireless is a technical step forward from Axon’s previous VR training products, potentially leading more law enforcement agencies to adopt virtual reality-powered training.

Axon says its new training system will focus on teaching police to defuse tense situations—a much-needed skill—while broadening the range of scenarios over time (one of the first modules will focus on domestic violence). In promoting these products, Axon says VR can help people become more sensitive to others’ feelings. With that in mind, the VR products use particular scenarios to get trainees to put themselves in the shoes of the civilian while also considering the perspective of law enforcement. VR’s use as a so-called “empathy machine” is a much-debated topic in academia and design, drawing skeptics as much as proponents.