Aptima Developing AR/VR Training for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technicians

“VORTEX” to provide safer training for dangerous missions in the U.S. Army

Woburn, MA – October 1, 2025 – Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians serve as the bomb squad for the US Army. When a weapons system is damaged, EOD technicians must “download” (remove) all the explosive rounds, missiles, or other explosive hazards before it can be repaired. But access to EOD training is limited, as there is a minute quantity of physical systems to train on, and those available systems may not be geographically co-located with EOD personnel.

To meet the Army’s need for a high-fidelity training platform that will provide EOD technicians the accessibility needed to train on a plethora of weapons systems, Aptima is designing and developing VORTEX for Virtual Ordnance Readiness Training for Explosives (VORTEX), an augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) platform that will maximize training outcomes such as skill acquisition, behavioral transfer, and skill retention over time. When complete, VORTEX will improve beyond current practices by leveraging established instructional principles that are well-suited for virtual training environments (e.g., visual orientation, contrasting cases, stress exposure). VORTEX will surpass existing training standards by accelerating the mastery of complex skills, increasing the production of tailored content, and easing the adoption of new weapons systems as new technologies become available.

VORTEX is a member of Aptima’s Performance Augmentation Systems portfolio of tech-enabled solutions designed enhance human capabilities through advanced technologies that support and extend physical and cognitive performance. Learn more at https://www.aptima.com/solutions/pas/.

U.S. Army photo by Andrew D. Monath

 

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