April 22, 2021 – HTX Labs, a provider of immersive training and simulation programs, has today announced that it has been awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract with the US Air Force (USAF) to adapt and deploy its EMPACT platform to facilitate the development of immersive training content relative to Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) aircrew training.
According to HTX Labs, one of the primary objectives of this effort will be to collaborate with the 558th Flying Training Squadron and the Texas Air National Guard to integrate HTX Labs’ EMPACT platform with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Vigilant Spirit Control Station to more effectively and efficiently train RPA pilots and sensor operators through advanced immersive content creation and analytics capabilities.
“We’re excited to continue our work with the Air Force and specifically with RPA instructors at Randolph Air Force Base,” said Chris Verret, co-founder, and CTO of HTX Labs. “We look forward to delivering a capability that provides an adaptive, future-proofed, student-directed learning environment to better prepare RPA students for remotely piloted aircraft such as MQ-9 Reaper and RQ-4 Formal Training Units.”
The EMPACT platform will be leveraged to satisfy RPA Initial Qualifications syllabus items for T-6A systems academics, emergency procedures and pattern flying procedures while also unlocking additional immersive visualization and analytics capabilities via integration with Vigilant Spirit. EMPACT provides portable, multi-modal learning that will enable RPA aircrew to experience training on virtual reality (VR) head mounted displays, laptops, and tablets, allowing students to effectively train anytime, anywhere, on any device in order to more broadly scale and sustain immersive training across the Air Force, according to HTX Labs.
“Our new SBIR contract advances HTX’s collaboration with the Air Force and continues the expansion of our EMPACT immersive training capabilities to support unmanned pilot training initiatives and elevate the level of proficiency and readiness of RPA aircrew,” commented Scott Schneider, co-founder and CEO of HTX Labs. “We’re eager to continue our partnership with the USAF to help achieve the national defense mission to increase the aircrew production demands for RPA pilots and sensor operators.”
For more information on HTX Labs and its EMPACT VR training solution for military aviation, please visit the company’s website.
Video credit: HTX Labs / YouTube
Related Posts
About the author
Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.