Battlefield medical training created and advanced in Central Florida is helping to save soldiers’ lives.
 
“[It’s] the marriage of technology, and gaming, and all of the different things that come together for a common purpose of training our war fighters, and equipping them to defend our freedom,” said Bill “Roto” Reuter, CAPT USN (Ret.).
 
Reuter, who goes by nickname Roto, became a fighter pilot in the Navy, serving for 28 years. He went on to lead simulation training for the Navy, before starting a simulation company of his own.
 
“One of the things that simulation is so much about is saving lives,” he said. “I hope we become as proficient in a simulated training as we would be in a live event.”
 
Angela Alban is working to make sure that happens. Her company, SIMETRI, in Winter Park, develops the next generation of technologies, such as prosthetic limbs and silicone wounds, for training paramedics, EMTs and combat medics to improve outcomes. Alban said their goal is to help those in battlefield situations make better split-second decisions by simulating injuries and wounds, as well as incidents, such as heart attacks.
 
“One of our specialties is making things look as though they’ve been severely injured,” she said of the prosthetic limbs, wounds and mannequins that are packed into the University Boulevard space. “Simulation is definitely far more than the video games.”
 
The 14-person team at SIMETRI is comprised of engineers and artists. Though small, they generate around $3 million per year, and ship their creations all over the world. Alban said military has come to rely on Central Florida for the latest in cutting-edge training systems for service members. And since central Florida is the hub for simulation, there’s a direct link to improved soldier survival rates.
 
“Every recent soldier or war fighter that has trained and been deployed has trained with something developed in Central Florida,” she said. “We start peeling the onion back and engineering something that’s going to be able to provide that experience for someone.”
 
According to Alban, SIMETRI is exploring different chemicals and methodologies to make new plastic or silicone-based figures which resemble the human body. The creations cost from hundreds to thousands of dollars.