Threat Assessment in Police VR Training: Multi-Sensory Cues for Situation Awareness

In this work we present results from two studies on threat perception in a multi-sensory virtual reality (VR) environment for police training. As the real world is experienced with all five senses, VR simulations often miss important environmental cues for threat assessment. The integration of congruent multi-sensory stimuli to VR training of police officers promises to overcome these shortcomings. By using a multi-modal measurement approach including Electroencephalography (EEG), Electrocardiography (ECG), Electrodermal activity (EDA) as well as questionnaires, we illustrate how the enhancement of VR with multi-sensory stimuli effects the threat assessment in VR, and can therefore lead to more realistic decision making and acting.