TacMedVR: Immersive VR Training for Tactical Medicine—Evaluating Interaction and Stress Response

Information

• Publication Type: Conference Paper
• Workgroup(s)/Project(s):
  • Visualization Group
• Date: September 2025
• ISBN: 979-8-3503-9273-9
• Publisher: IEEE
• Location: Wageningen
• Lecturer: Volodymyr Tretyak
• Event: 11th International Conference on Virtual Reality (ICVR 2025)
• DOI: 10.1109/ICVR66534.2025.11172647
• Booktitle: 2025 11th International Conference on Virtual Reality (ICVR)
• Pages: 6
• Conference date: 9. July 2025 – 11. July 2025
• Pages: 345 – 350
• Keywords: Hand Tracking, Interaction Design, Medical Simulation, Simulation-Based Training, Virtual Reality in Education

Abstract

This paper presents the development and evaluation of a virtual reality (VR) training simulation for tactical emergency medicine, created in Unity and optimized for the Meta Quest 3 headset. The simulation places users in a high-stress scenario inspired by real knife attacks and incorporates natural hand tracking for interaction. Core training elements include triage, bleeding control, and communication with victims and bystanders. A qualitative study with ten participants, all with prior first aid or tactical medical training, explored three key research questions: (1) To what extent does the realistic recreation of real-world events affect trainees' perceived psychological stress and sense of immersion in virtual reality simulations? (2) How do hand tracking and traditional controllers compare in terms of usability? (3) How is VR perceived as a complementary or alternative method to conventional training? Thematic analysis revealed that visual and auditory realism enhanced immersion but did not consistently increase perceived stress. Hand tracking was considered intuitive but occasionally unreliable. Participants generally viewed VR as a valuable complement to traditional training, particularly for practicing workflows and rapid decision-making under pressure. The results underscore VR's potential as a scalable, engaging, and safe tool for preparing responders for high-threat environments.

Additional Files and Images

Weblinks

• Entry in reposiTUm (TU Wien Publication Database)
• DOI: 10.1109/ICVR66534.2025.11172647

BibTeX

@inproceedings{tretyak-2025-tacmedvr,
  title =      "TacMedVR: Immersive VR Training for Tactical
               Medicine—Evaluating Interaction and Stress Response",
  author =     "Volodymyr Tretyak and Eduard Gr\"{o}ller",
  year =       "2025",
  abstract =   "This paper presents the development and evaluation of a
               virtual reality (VR) training simulation for tactical
               emergency medicine, created in Unity and optimized for the
               Meta Quest 3 headset. The simulation places users in a
               high-stress scenario inspired by real knife attacks and
               incorporates natural hand tracking for interaction. Core
               training elements include triage, bleeding control, and
               communication with victims and bystanders. A qualitative
               study with ten participants, all with prior first aid or
               tactical medical training, explored three key research
               questions: (1) To what extent does the realistic recreation
               of real-world events affect trainees' perceived
               psychological stress and sense of immersion in virtual
               reality simulations? (2) How do hand tracking and
               traditional controllers compare in terms of usability? (3)
               How is VR perceived as a complementary or alternative method
               to conventional training? Thematic analysis revealed that
               visual and auditory realism enhanced immersion but did not
               consistently increase perceived stress. Hand tracking was
               considered intuitive but occasionally unreliable.
               Participants generally viewed VR as a valuable complement to
               traditional training, particularly for practicing workflows
               and rapid decision-making under pressure. The results
               underscore VR's potential as a scalable, engaging, and safe
               tool for preparing responders for high-threat environments.",
  month =      sep,
  isbn =       "979-8-3503-9273-9",
  publisher =  "IEEE",
  location =   "Wageningen",
  event =      "11th International Conference on Virtual Reality (ICVR 2025)",
  doi =        "10.1109/ICVR66534.2025.11172647",
  booktitle =  "2025 11th International Conference on Virtual Reality (ICVR)",
  pages =      "6",
  pages =      "345--350",
  keywords =   "Hand Tracking, Interaction Design, Medical Simulation,
               Simulation-Based Training, Virtual Reality in Education",
  URL =        "https://www.cg.tuwien.ac.at/research/publications/2025/tretyak-2025-tacmedvr/",
}