Virtual reality; ISCN's effective capacity-building tool

Rodriguez, P.; Suzuki, Mitsutoshi; Hanai, Tasuku

Capacity-building is an important area, to be continually reinforced in order to maintain the successful operation of an entity or organization. The depletion of capable human resources due to retirement, ill-health and other unavoidable conditions should be addressed. Valuable knowledge and experience should be shared in a certain way; with ease of comprehension and information retention. Virtual reality (VR) is one tool that can be used in response to the urgent need to capture knowledge and experience from relevant resources. In 2016, the Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security (ISCN) of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) invested in virtual reality knowledge management technology to equip its Center of Excellence. The ISCN has developed a VR system that provides a three-dimensional computer-generated training environment, which can be explored and interacted with by an individual. Through this VR system, the participant becomes part of a virtual world, immersed within the environment. While there, the individual is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions. This paper describes how virtual reality is being used by the ISCN as an effective capacity-building tool. It will also describe the approach to how the knowledge and experience for a specific subject matter are conveyed through the use of virtual reality. The effectiveness of the tool has been demonstrated since its introduction through application on several occasions within the training course for the State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material (SSAC). Use of the VR tool brings benefits from zero exposure to radiation within a suitable environment for the participants' training, whilst enabling the learning of safeguards concepts and associated nuclear material verification measures.