SINGAPORE - After missing the target completely on her first few attempts, 27-year-old regular police trainee Noorafidah Mohamed Nasar found herself dreading the shooting sessions.

But with the help of a new sensor-based training system, Sergeant Noorafidah is eager to work on her shooting skills at the firing range.

During a media demonstration of the Enhanced Live Firing Range System (Elfras) last Wednesday (Oct 21), Sergeant Noorafidah, who joined the Training Command of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in July, recalled her initial lack of confidence and vast improvements made with the system.

She said: "Most of the first-time shooters were like that... I didn't want to do it anymore (but) the trainers encouraged me to keep on trying because if I don't try, I will not know how well I can do. Now I'm more confident than before."

Elfras, which is for pistols and was developed by the SPF and the Home Team Science and Technology Agency, utilises sensors to capture a trainee's weapon handling, breathing, shooting posture, gaze fixation and visual alignment.

For example, a sensor attached to the pistol tracks the movement of the weapon before, during and after the trigger is pulled, while another sensor, worn like a pair of spectacles, tracks eye movement to see if the trainee blinks while firing.

The system is then able to provide real-time feedback once the round has been fired. These tips include "breaking wrist down, or relaxing too soon", "heeling, anticipating recoil" or "too much or too little trigger finger".

The trainer on site will then pinpoint where exactly the trainees went wrong in their technique.

Superintendent of Police Joseph Yoong Chun Yeon said: "Right now trainers are only able to, based on their experience as well as their observations, identify certain gaps, as well as shortcomings of the trainee.''

"So with the use of technology such as Elfras, we are able to capture objective data feedback... provide this objective data to the trainers and trainees so they can have a more meaningful after-action review," added Supt Yoong, who is also head of the instructional technology division of SPF's training and capability development department.

Sgt Noorafidah is one of the trainees who tested the system during its trial phase which began in June this year and will run until February 2021. More than 200 trainees will take part in the trial.

Said Sgt Noorafidah: "I'm very lucky I got to try the Elfras so the instructor knows what I need to improve on."