The challenge
Two leading academics, Sharon Weiner at American University and Moritz Kütt from the Institute for Peace and Security, University of Hamburg, wanted to better understand how officials would respond under pressure in the event of a nuclear attack on the United States.
The question for Holosphere was, could we put a participant in the Oval Office, simulate the stresses of impending global annihilation and find patterns in their decision making that could ultimately save us all?
The response
Our close partnership with Sharon and Moritz resulted in the development of a highly immersive VR simulation. Named after the launch code card a President carries at all times, it put users in charge of the world’s most destructive nuclear arsenal, on a 15 minute countdown to disaster.
Wearing a VR headset, users were transported via a life-size recreation of the Oval Office to the White House Situation Room, where a constant barrage of live feeds and barking advisors placed them under extreme stress. Time was fast running out to analyse patchy data and weigh up retaliatory responses in the face of Russian aggression.
We faced tough challenges of our own. The experience had to be portable, designed for the VR novice and allow a trained facilitator to react and manage responses via a tablet. Everything was built on wireless technology, with no cables to break the immersion. Even the desk and chair were tracked, so any movements in the real world were matched in the sim.
Designed as a closed network, the team could arrive with all the kit they needed, with no reliance on venue-based facilities.
The result
What started out as a research project very quickly turned into an educational tool.
‘Biscuit’ was successfully demonstrated to delegates at the Munich Security Conference and has since formed the basis of further experiments at Princeton University.
It was also shown to US policy makers on Capitol Hill, giving key influencers the opportunity to experience the pressures of real-time decision-making under threat of attack.
The reaction
“I was virtually paralysed by the end. The experience was so real, it was chilling.”
Robert Meyers
Delegate, Munich Security Conference