Canberra based virtual reality immersive environment delivers best-in-class capability to Australian defence industry.

CANBERRA - 28 August 2017: The Australian Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne, participated in today's official opening of Raytheon Australia's next generation Customer Engagement Centre at the company's corporate headquarters in Canberra. Minister Pyne was joined by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Raytheon Company, Dr Thomas A. Kennedy and Managing Director of Raytheon Australia, Michael Ward.

The new Centre features a cave automatic virtual environment, or CAVE, that leverages virtual reality technology within a structure consisting of 72 large video screens positioned in a 320 degree arrangement. The CAVE utilises stereoscopic projection and 3D computer graphics and can be linked to similar facilities in the United States, allowing real time collaboration across international teams.

“The Customer Engagement Centre brings defence technology to life for customers and engineers in ways never before possible through cutting edge virtual reality,” said Michael Ward, managing director of Raytheon Australia. “As the nation’s leading integrator of mission systems, we will utilise this Centre to create opportunities for innovation and collaboration with Defence and our supplier partners.”

The facility will be used for a range of defence related engineering tasks, including:

• 3D scans of a warship’s command centre – This enables optimized placement of equipment and cabling. Defence officials will be able to walk through a 3D virtual mock-up of a layout prior to procuring physical equipment, limiting risk associated with rework and design changes.
• Sophisticated modelling of manufacturing facilities – This will improve quality and production speed by enhancing building layout design, material flow and automation.

In addition to the Raytheon Australia CAVE facility in Canberra, a smaller portable version of this capability will allow interaction between Raytheon and its small business suppliers.

The opening of the Customer Engagement Centre builds on Raytheon Australia’s unique achievement of 10 million hours of combat systems integration experience across a number of complex defence programs including Australia’s Air Warfare Destroyers and the Collins Class Submarines. 

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Editor's note

• Click here for video of the CAVE automatic virtual environment
• Click here for more information about Raytheon Australia's Customer Engagement Centre

Media contact: 
Brad Rowswell, Mobile: +61 402 916 935 brad.rowswell@raytheon.com.au 

About Raytheon 
Raytheon Company, with 2016 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 95 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I™ products and services, sensing, effects, and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter.