Background

The Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) faces increasing challenges in maintaining diver readiness and safety amid staff shortages and rising operational costs. Traditional training methods for underwater rescue drills require significant resources, equipment, and instructor time, limiting scalability and consistency.

To address these challenges, RNZN engaged Company-X to develop a virtual reality simulation for the Companion Diver Drill, a critical underwater rescue procedure. This initiative aimed to improve diver competency, reduce training costs, and enhance safety through immersive, repeatable, and self-directed learning experiences.

 

Challenge

Existing training approaches for the Companion Diver Drill are resource-intensive and difficult to replicate in controlled environments. RNZN required a solution that:

  • Simulates realistic underwater conditions for CABA, SSBA, and VSWRB systems.
  • Provides guided and unguided modes for progressive learning.
  • Operates on Vive Focus 3 headsets without additional hardware for the trainee.
  • Multiplayer functionality allows trainer to watch, guide, and correct trainee actions in real-time.
  • Enables post-session video review for instructor feedback.

 

Opportunity

Building on the success of previous RNZN VR projects, Company-X proposed a fully immersive VR training system to:

  • Deliver a consistent training mechanism aligned with RNZN standards.
  • Improve knowledge retention and self-directed learning.
  • Reduce reliance on physical equipment and instructor availability.
  • Enhance diver safety through real-time feedback and error correction.

 

Solution

Company-X developed a cutting-edge VR simulation replicating the Companion Diver Drill workflow:

  • Environmental realism: Underwater soundscapes, dynamic lighting, and surface vessel interaction.
  • Interactive scenarios: Trainees perform incapacitated diver recovery, controlled ascent, and surface signalling.
  • Dual training modes:
    • Guided: Visual prompting, equipment interactions, error correction, ascent rate monitoring.
    • Unguided: Self-paced execution without feedback for advanced learners.
  • Hardware compatibility: Runs entirely on Vive Focus 3 headsets; supports video playback on RNZN laptops for review.

The simulation enables divers to practice critical rescue drills safely and repeatedly, without the logistical complexity of real-world underwater training.

 

 

Status

The VR training solution is currently in-service and supportive of RNZN’s diver training programs ashore and at sea to ensure operational readiness and safety across all diving disciplines.