Public Safety Immersive Test Center

Collaborating with the FirstNet Authority to drive the future of public safety technology forward

In spring 2022, NIST PSCR designed and built the Public Safety Immersive Test Center (PSITC). Located in the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority)’s Boulder, Colorado facility, the PSITC provides opportunities to conduct immersive public safety standards and measurements testing.

The facility is designed to help answer key research questions around the future of user interfaces and location-based services for public safety training and operations. Read more about the facility in the PSITC Fact Sheet, or take a virtual tour of the PSCR’s laboratories including the PSITC.

The PSITC allows for limitless virtual environments for testing and demonstration purposes including scenarios for triage, Search and Rescue, indoor navigation, and situational awareness. The test center is comprised of:

• A modular layout
• A motion capture system with 62 high speed optical tracking cameras capable of centimeter accuracy
• A variety of augmented and virtual reality headsets
• A mobile staircase and other equipment for z-axis motion
• Physical furniture and gear to add a tactile component to simulations

PSCR plans to update the space regularly with enhancements such as haptics and metrology, 5G, edge computing, WebXR capabilities (which allow virtual and augmented realities to be combined) and other technological advances for public safety operations. The PSITC will also integrate technologies from other PSCR research areas like Internet of Things (IoT) and analytics for use in research, development, and demonstration purposes.