KIT724 Assignment 2 - VR Firefighter training
1. Introduction
A new era for virtual firefighter training in an immersive environment that replicates real firefighting strategies. Train for any complex scenario whenever and wherever convenient in a risk-free environment.
2. Description of the application
The software helps firefighters to be trained in the 3D spatial environment like real-world scenarios where the fire incident in the apartment is developed in the form of a three-dimensional tangible image. The firefighter interacts in the medium through several sensory channels like hearing (flame explosion) and touch (firehose or extinguisher) to manipulate the training content. This enables firefighters to equip themselves with necessary skillsets ranging from basic to expertise without putting them in danger. At the end of the training, they can utilize the knowledge immediately in a real-world scenario.
Firefighter safety training is not easy to replicate due to its high complexity of interface (problem 1) and costly to create due to various training scenarios (problem 2), especially not to mention hazards involved in the live training as any hidden dangers and hazmat can go wrong in the training (problem 3).
To solve problems 2 and 3, a risk-free and lower-cost virtual environment that allows firefighters to practice fire safety exercises instead of live training.
To solve problem 1, the virtual environment should be a fully immersive interface to stimulate true-to-life fire incidents to increase intensively the overall feelings of threats, psychological stress, and anxiety of firefighters during the training.
Virtual reality (VR) seems to be the best suitable interface design in the competition to augmented reality (AR) as it satisfies all the requirements mentioned in the above paragraph. Firstly, immersive experiences in VR replicate how the eyes and brain produce visuals with the exact scenario in real-life, whereas AR augments a real-world scene. Humans, on the other hand, interpret the world via our senses. Some hazards in firefighter training, on the other hand, can be detected by scents for instance extinguished fire smoke. Olfaction can be achieved by integrating “scentware” into VR applications on top of software and hardware components Anne 2020).
3. Interaction design
As a firefighter, he should familiarize himself with all fire equipment and determine the right types of extinguishers that work for a specific class of fire. In this use case, the firefighter needs to look for the CO2 extinguisher mounted on the kitchen wall and put out the overheat electric stove successfully without any redundant action (like opening the kitchen drawer to look for the extinguisher).
Below is the storyboard to illustrate the use case of the interface design.
4. Technical development
The software is developed with Oculus Quest 2 and the Unity development platform.
As soon as the application launches, the firefighter/camera locates in the living room. Firstly, moving the left and right thumbsticks to enter the kitchen where the fire incident occurs. Secondly, opening the kitchen cabinet by making a fist gesture with the right hand, then holding out the index finger to make a pointing gesture to the cabinet door to open the drawer. Lastly, grab the CO2 extinguisher and put out the fire by pressing the left index trigger.
5. Description of 3D Models
The project utilizes several assets on Unity store to speed up the development. They are free assets and available to download from the store.
| Thumbnail image asset | Asset name | Purpose of usage |
 | Unity Particle Pack | This article pack contains fire, explosion, ice, etc. To speed up the development, the flame is retrieved from here.
|
 | Fire & Spell Effects
| This asset offers a gorgeous effect related to fire. The flame sound and electric explosion audio are grabbed from this asset. |
 | Fire extinguisher | It is a 3D model of a fire extinguisher. |
 | Apartment kit | The apartment kit contains realistic interior and exterior housing assets. The fire incident happens in the apartment, that is why this kit is used to develop the scene.
|
6. References
Apartment Kit | 3D Props | Unity Asset Store. (2022). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/apartment-kit-124055#publisher
Battalion, A. (2020, February 25). Fire training simulators: Reviewing options for firefighter training. https://www.firerescue1.com/live-fire-training/articles/fire-training-simulators-reviewing-options-for-firefighter-training-x81BPzJ1vNFbaHeB/
Blanchi, R., Leonard, J., Haynes, K., Opie, K., James, M., & Oliveira, F. D. de. (2014). Understanding loss of life in bushfires. Environmental Science and Policy, 37, 192–203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2013.09.013
Fire & Spell Effects | Fire & Explosions | Unity Asset Store. (2022). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/vfx/particles/fire-explosions/fire-spell-effects-36825#content
Fire Extinguisher | 3D Props | Unity Asset Store. (2015). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/3d/props/fire-extinguisher-21147
Free Vector | A fireman. (n.d.). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/fireman_23722332.htm#query=firefighter&position=36&from_view=search
Free Vector | Hand drawn flat design firefighters putting out a fire. (n.d.). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-flat-design-firefighters-putting-out-fire_19965279.htm#query=put%20out%20firefighting&position=18&from_view=search
Free Vector | Retro kitchen empty interior with appliances and white wooden furniture. table, oven, range hood, refrigerator and utensil. equipment for cooking in classic vintage style, cartoon vector illustration. (n.d.). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/retro-kitchen-empty-interior-with-appliances-white-wooden-furniture-table-oven-range-hood-refrigerator-utensil-equipment-cooking-classic-vintage-style-cartoon-vector-illustration_22488903.htm?query=kitchen&collectionId=2366&&position=3&from_view=collections
Free Vector | Wild west living room empty western style interior. (n.d.). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/wild-west-living-room-empty-western-style-interior_7743463.htm#query=living%20room&position=0&from_view=search
How to Put Out a Fire in Unity (Part 1) - YouTube. (2022). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDUw0CjMCR8&t=453s
How to Put Out a Fire in Unity (Part 2) - YouTube. (2022). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMQ33C4RuhA&t=659s
Anne, M. (2020). Olfactory Engineering: The Future Of Multisensory VR Could Be Scent-Based - VRScout. https://vrscout.com/news/olfactory-engineering-scent-based-vr/
Tatzgern, M., Domhardt, M., Wolf, M., Cenger, M., Emsenhuber, G., Dinic, R., Gerner, N., & Hartl, A. (2022). AirRes Mask: A Precise and Robust Virtual Reality Breathing Interface Utilizing Breathing Resistance as Output Modality. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings. https://doi.org/10.1145/3491102.3502090
Unity Particle Pack | Tutorial Projects | Unity Asset Store. (2021). Retrieved August 20, 2022, from https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/essentials/tutorial-projects/unity-particle-pack-127325