Virtual reality for learning first aid

“Now let’s do a role play. Turn around. A victim is on the ground. How do you help him? It’s your turn!”. In a room usually dedicated to yoga classes, Nivedita and Beni, two employees of the famous carpooling company BlaBlaCar, meet in the basement of their offices to undergo first aid training. But not just any first aid training. As soon as they arrive, a virtual reality headset is handed to them. “You will participate in an experience that will immerse you completely.”announces Jawad Mohamed Habane, first aider and trainer.

Virtual reality in the service of learning: this is the challenge taken by the company D’un seul geste, whose objective is to train as many citizens as possible in first aid. “In France, 50,000 cardiac arrests occur every year. The survival rate is 5% compared to 40% in Norway, due to a lack of certified people who cannot assist the victims.”recalls Emmanuel Bourcet, co-founder of Un seul geste, on the occasion of World First Aid Day this Saturday, September 14. Faced with this observation, Emmanuel Macron wants to introduce 80% of the French population to the exercise by 2027. But the result is far from being achieved. According to the Red Cross, only 40% of French people are currently trained, “compared to 95% in Norway”specifies Emmanuel Bourcet.

So, “Fantastic Four” got together to find a fun solution and train people in companies in just one hour. In 2018, twenty years after helping the victims of a violent road accident, Emmanuel Bourcet, the entrepreneur, had the idea of ​​creating a company to teach in a more innovative way. He then met General Bernard Périco, the civil security expert, who followed him in the adventure and introduced him to Nicolas Guerchet, the training referent, a firefighter in Isère. With the idea in mind, they had to find a brain to design the virtual reality software. Ludovic Fagot, the developer, then joined in, with his background as a former head of virtual reality projects at Dassault Aviation*.

Easy and fun training

Once a few adjustments have been made, the simulation begins, in silence. On the ground, the classic mannequin that can be found in any training is there. But with the headset, it is connected, and transforms into an animated character, with arms and legs in addition. The yoga room has been transformed into an empty New York apartment, with a view of the skyscrapers. Educational videos are broadcast, allowing you to learn the right actions if you witness a hemorrhage or suffocation. At the end of each sequence, a few questions are asked. To answer them, no need for a remote control or controller. Simply move your arm forward and virtually click on the correct answer. The players’ human hands now have the appearance of animated hands. The training, which becomes a game, is fluid and rather realistic. Concentration is at its peak. No trace of blood or injury, sensitive souls need not abstain.

And then, it’s time to practice cardiac massage. BlaBlaCar’s yoga room changes again. Direction the fictitious office of a Parisian company, where a young employee has just had a heart attack. “Can you help me? I’ll call for help and take over for you.”says a character from the scenario. Crouching down, the two interns of the day comply. Their hands run over the real mannequin placed on the ground. Virtually, they slide their fingers over the torso to pretend to remove the victim’s t-shirt. A relay with a fake colleague allows them to turn their heads and discover a virtual defibrillator, and to affix the electrodes to the body. In real life, they simply slide their hands into the void, as if they were really holding an object, when in fact they are not.

Complete training in record time

After about forty minutes, the experience ends. But not the training. Jawad Mohamed Habane continues: “Do you know where the defibrillator is located in your company? Do you know the emergency numbers? Emotion can sometimes take over when you witness such a situation, did you know that by pressing the lock button on a phone five times, you can directly call for help?”asks the trainer.

A few final manipulations, notably to learn how to use a real defibrillator, and Nivedita and Beni are freed from their task, delighted. “It’s so important to follow this training. I would never have known what techniques to use if I had been faced with an accident before today. Above all, with virtual reality, we know exactly where and how to react.”explains the 26-year-old.

Above all, she considers that being able to follow such training in a company is a real advantage, “especially financial, because everything is taken care of”According to D’un seul geste, each training course costs the company 150 euros per employee, a “market price similar to other training courses”assures Emmanuel Bourcet. “And then, in just one hour, I learned everything and could go back to work.”continues Nivedita. An observation shared by Ilana Attal, in charge of general services at BlaBlaCar: “This training is ideal for our employees because the innovative aspect allows for effective training in a short time. With teleworking and the fear of having certified people absent from the office, we were keen to raise awareness among more people.” Typically, two to four participants are trained per hour. This means that 16 to 32 employees can be certified in one day.

Overcoming the fear of other people’s gaze

For Beni too, the experience is very beneficial, especially for the position he holds within the company. “I am a receptionist, I see people passing through and in front of the building every day”he shares. For him, virtual reality is especially useful for understanding and remembering gestures. “We are totally immersed. It’s surprising. We learn more easily.”adds the 20-year-old employee. An opinion shared by Jawad Mohamed Habane: “Often, in traditional training, participants do not dare to try the exercises and are passive, for fear of what others will think. Here, no one is looking at you, everyone has their headset and lives their own experience.”

Today, eight people work daily on the development of D’un seul geste. More than 15,000 people from 300 companies and local authorities have been trained using this method, and around a hundred trainers – often firefighters or former firefighters – now provide certifications. “We also have partners who use our solution, such as the National Union of Rescue and Lifeguard Associations of the La Poste and Orange Groups (Unass) and private training organizations.”concludes Emmanuel Bourcet, who hopes to see his public utility innovation prosper in France, and why not abroad.

*The Dassault group owns “Le Figaro”