Axon Enterprise unveils TASER 10 and TASER 7 VR controllers to elevate training for public safety

Why Virtual Reality Matters for Training

Our moonshot goal to reduce gun-related deaths between police and the public requires the seamless integration of technology, training and trust to be successful. Axon VR is a key component to how we get there: safer outcomes start with improved training. Currently, over 1,500 agencies across the globe utilize Axon VR to train their officers. Why? Historically, public safety agencies have faced massive problems providing officers with effective training. Traditional training is expensive, requiring agencies to rent out large areas, hire instructors and actors, rent equipment, and pull officers out of the field to complete training over the course of one or two full days.

Over the past several years, Axon has strived to change the way agencies think about training. What if training didn’t have to take place in a set location at a set time? What if the cost of training per officer could be significantly lowered, while the quality of training improved?

Unlike traditional simulators, Axon VR revolutionizes training by eliminating the need for dedicated training spaces and complex equipment, allowing agencies to reclaim downtime and improve knowledge retention through on-demand microtraining sessions that can be completed anytime, anywhere. Axon VR goes beyond use-of-force training, enhancing skills, empathy and de-escalation tactics for many of the most common calls for service, including interactions with individuals in crisis and those experiencing a mental health episode. Additionally, compatibility with TASER energy weapons enables officers to develop muscle memory using the same equipment they use in the real world.

Today, Axon is thrilled to announce two major enhancements launching this quarter stemming directly from customer feedback:

• True-to-life TASER 10 and TASER 7 VR controllers that enable officers to build muscle memory and train to proficiency without the need for extensive training time and live cartridge consumption.
• 6 new immersive TASER energy weapon skills exercises within Axon VR Simulator Training that immerse trainees in a virtual-range environment to enhance proficiency with TASER energy weapons. 

Through ongoing advancements in hardware, software, and content developed with invaluable input from law enforcement agencies, Axon VR has become more impactful than ever, addressing many of the training challenges agencies face today.

New TASER Virtual Reality Controllers

The launch of the TASER 10 and TASER 7 VR controllers come at an especially useful time, as more agencies upgrade their TASER programs to include our more advanced energy weapons. The new TASER 10 VR Controller gives officers substantial training opportunities by being able to deploy hundreds of TASER 10 cartridges in VR before deploying a live TASER 10.

The new TASER VR Controllers were purpose-built for VR in partnership with virtual reality market leader HTC VIVE, using feedback from current public safety customers. These controllers offer users a more streamlined experience when getting into VR, enhance tracking accuracy and result in a more immersive experience. By integrating state-of-the-art infrared tracking technology, the VR system can accurately determine the controller's exact position, resulting in a lifelike user experience in virtual reality. Training with VR equipment that is near-identical to hardware agencies use in the real world ensures officers build muscle memory and minimizes training scars.

“Our commitment to innovation with VR technology has delivered groundbreaking solutions that cater to customers’ evolving needs,” said Dan O’Brien, GM of Americas at HTC VIVE. “Fueled by our enduring partnership, we take pride in our ongoing collaboration with Axon to advance the design of the TASER VR Controllers. This not only empowers officers but also elevates their training through immersive, true-to-life experiences.”

New TASER Energy Weapon Skills Exercises

In addition to new VR controller hardware, Axon VR is adding six new TASER energy weapon skills exercises to its library.

Axon VR Simulator Training immerses trainees in an open-range environment to enhance proficiency with TASER energy weapons. Through repeated practice of fundamentals and skill-based training, trainees refine techniques like target assessment, verbal commands, drawing, targeting at varying distances, and accounting for various clothing types, body positions, and movements. These exercises enhance speed, accuracy and confidence under stress.

The Impact of Axon VR Simulator Training

Implementing new technology can be a long and intense process for agencies. What makes Axon VR Simulator Training worth deploying? We sat down with Sgt. Jason Spencer of the Metro Nashville PD, who invested in Axon VR to bolster traditional training methods, to find out:

COST SAVINGS
“Simulator Training is where you see a lot of cost savings. In the past, the standard procedure involved everyone traveling to a training center, queuing up, deploying two live cartridges, and then moving on to the next training session. With Simulator Training, officers can engage in virtual training anytime, anywhere, and deploy hundreds of cartridges, and it doesn’t cost you anything.”

IMPROVED WEAPON PROFICIENCY
“When it comes to training, everything we teach is a perishable skill. If skills aren’t used, you lose them. Keeping it consistent not only maintains it, but improves it. When it comes to TASER energy weapons, that means improved accuracy, greater comfort moving between close quarters and standoff cartridges, deploying warning arcs, probe spread, tracking moving targets and more. There’s definitely been significant improvement due to [Axon VR Simulator] training.”

INCREASED OFFICER CONFIDENCE
“When we upgraded our TASER energy weapons to the more advanced models, we knew that officers would have concerns about learning a new weapons platform. But once they tried them out in Simulator Training, everybody saw their value and wanted to start using them. There was a lot more confidence in the reliability of the weapon. Officers like the ability to do the training on a more consistent basis. It even gives them the ability to practice things like use of force report writing skills in an environment that is safe. There’s just that boost of confidence.”

Read the full Metro Nashville PD virtual reality case study.

Axon is dedicated to delivering world-class training to our customers, whether it's conducted in-person or virtual. We are excited to announce that Axon’s Virtual Reality course, Interactive Case Law I, has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first-ever virtual reality course to receive certification from the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) National Certification Program™. This certification represents a significant milestone for Axon VR's program and stands as a noteworthy achievement in the evolution of law enforcement training.

Learn more about the certification.

With the all-new TASER 10 and TASER 7 VR controllers and immersive TASER energy weapon skills exercises, Axon VR Simulator Training is the most efficient, cost-effective method for agencies to train on TASER energy weapons. We look forward to hearing feedback as agencies start incorporating these new training enhancements and remain committed to delivering world-class training to our customers.

Want to see how Axon VR can enhance your training program? Learn more at axon.com/vr