Soldiers can now walk the battlefield before they fight on it, moving in full 360 degrees through AI-built, geo-specific virtual environments for ground combat training and mission planning.
Virtuix, known for building virtual reality systems that enable natural movement, recently unveiled an upgraded version of its Virtual Terrain Walk (VTW), a defense-focused platform that uses AI to rapidly generate immersive, walkable terrain from real-world geographic data.
It allows users to maneuver naturally across the virtual battlefield, responding to obstacles and scenarios just as they would in the real world.
At the core of the upgrade is an AI-based 3D reconstruction tech called Gaussian splatting, which converts real-world locations into fully explorable landscapes in just hours, accelerating the creation of realistic training environments.
VTW pairs these virtual environments with an omni-directional treadmill, letting users walk, run, or crouch continuously in any direction while remaining in a fixed physical space.
“Creating realistic virtual environments has historically been a slow and labor-intensive process,” said Jan Goetgeluk, Chief Executive Officer of Virtuix.
He added that the use of AI-driven Gaussian splatting now allows teams to “scan real-world locations and turn them into photorealistic virtual spaces that our warfighters can physically explore.”
Team-Based Training and Early Adoption
The platform supports team-based exercises, with multiple users operating in the same environment simultaneously to allow units to rehearse missions together.
Teams can coordinate movement and practice communication and decision-making under simulated conditions that include terrain and weather changes, as well as opposing forces.
“The ability to iterate through scenarios and understand how environmental changes affect outcomes can significantly reduce the potential for error on the modern battlefield,” said Jay Miseli, a retired US Army Colonel.
Virtuix cited early adoption within defense organizations, noting that Omni test units have already been acquired by Yokota Air Base, the US Air Force Academy, and the US Military Academy at West Point.
