Verifying disarmament processes using virtual reality

Why is a virtual reality tool necessary? Why can't the monitoring of nuclear disarmament take place on site?
Matthias Kuhr: Digital twins for processes, especially for those that are still in the development phase, speed up their completion and enable the time- and location-independent participation of all stakeholders and development partners, without requiring extensive travel and resources. Additionally, the tool can later be used for teaching purposes when training new inspectors. It is also beneficial for communication about such processes.

It is also possible to simply save the status of all virtual reality objects, such as their position in the room, and to continue again at any time without having to go through all of the previous steps. This means that the environment for a specific process step from the training is always available. In the real world this is a huge resource-related problem.

How long and with whom have you worked on the project?
Matthias Kuhr: To begin with, we worked intensively with the NuDiVe process. It is a very long document with indvidual process steps, phases and restrictions. Initially it was difficult for us laypeople to envision how exactly it all proceeded and who was permitted to do what at exactly which points.

For this reason, Dr. Simon Hebel built a board game to present the complex process and help familiarise his students and those new to the project with the topic. Going through the process ourselves in the role of an inspector was a great help to us. At the same time, of course, we learned about nuclear warheads and how they are built. This helped us understand what really happens later behind closed doors when disarmament is taking place.

What is happening now with your virtual reality tool? Where can people see it, and is it publicly accessible? Can laypeople even understand it?
Matthias Kuhr: The first presentation was in New York, and the next one is planned for the beginning of October in Berlin at the working group meeting of the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. At the same time, we are making the tool available to all academics working on research and development in the area of disarmament verification. Some Belgian colleagues have recently begun to work with us on the architecture and room distribution for the simulation disarmament hall.

You've said that this was a massive undertaking, almost like a life's work, but you're still at the beginning of your career. What happens now?
Matthias Kuhr: I'm just going to keep working and contributing my expertise and energy to projects that make sense to me. I am passionate about new technologies and I want to generate added value for society and simplify communication and coordination processes that are useful in providing training for key positions. Alongside NuDiVe, I am also working with PAKOMM, a project using mixed reality to support urban planning processes and increase participation in them. I am also currently developing a training application to support education for leadership positions with responsibility for mass casualty incidents. These are emergencies or accidents with a large number of people injured, and they require specific planning and organisational measures.

And finally, I am currently putting the finishing touches on an indoor-navigation automated reality tool for the Hamburg central library. It is intended to help users find the item they are looking for more quickly in the large building. My motto is always the same: progress through technology using applied sciences and technologies.

Interview: Katharina Jeorgakopulos