Bottom Line Up Front: Google is going to use Cloud-hosted virtual reality to train Air Force flight crews.
Going commercial-off-the-shelf
Currently, Air Force simulators cost approximately trillions of dollars and are super hard to carry around. What the Air Force really wanted was something cheap, portable and convenient that anyone could use from anywhere.
So the Defense Innovation Unit, which is a Department of Defense outfit that brings in Silicon Valley commercial technology into the Pentagon, hooked up with Google to set up cloud-based virtual reality goggles that Airmen could use to train.
Wait, Cloud?
Yes. The whole US Government, including the military, is going to the Cloud. More on that tomorrow.
Anyway
So the idea is pretty straightforward: give people virtual reality headsets loaded with training materials that they can use anywhere. Google is making it happen.
What’s It mean For Me?
Are you a 3D or VR worker or company? A huge new market just opened up.
Are you a DoD training company? Google just raised the bar.