Following recent reports of VR being used to treat phobias and eating disorders, a slightly more unexpected use case has emerged. UK postal company Royal Mail is now deploying VR safety training across its ranks, in collaboration with Sponge UK.
The training enables employees to protect themselves from homeowners’ dogs while going about their duties. It puts workers into a fictional scenario where they must make decisions, all of which have consequences for their safety. It can be undertaken using a virtual reality headset or as a 360° video viewable on a conventional computer screen.
Statistics show that over 40 postal workers are injured by dogs every week in the UK.