Empathy Trainer Supporting Front-line Personnel
Engineering & Computer Simulations is showcasing the Orange County Empathy Learning and Occupational Training (OCELOT) empathy trainer. OCELOT supports the development of soft skills that front-line personnel need to employ during challenging or sensitive interactions with lessons experienced as interactive conversations set in immersive and realistic environments. The learner engages with high-fidelity avatars that create a sense of realism by portraying nuanced and evocative responses. The avatars deliver immediate reactions to learner choices with a review and remediation upon completion of a scenario. Front-line personnel use this safe space to navigate the challenges of identifying empathetic interactions, learn from their mistakes, and develop strategies for managing outcomes.
Technologies such as Virtual Reality (VR) and Immersive Training Environments (ITE) have long proven their effectiveness for training and therapy across many domains, including military, medicine, and aviation. However, this type of innovative, immersive technology is not typically available or used to its full potential in providing training or mental health resources for county level front-line emergency workers. OCELOT seeks to leverage these technologies that have already been developed for various other government agencies.
