CM Labs as mentioned in CONEXPO’s website:
Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can play an influential role in a construction company’s operation, including safety training.
The National Safety Council (NSC) agrees. The NSC has developed a program called Work to Zero. The goal is to eliminate workplace fatalities by 2050 through the adoption of emerging technologies. AR/VR is among the six technologies recommended by the NSC to reduce accidents in the construction industry.Two men using VR headsets with additional controls joysticks.
There are several proven benefits of VR/AR safety training, including:
- people learn better when actively engaged
- people can be trained to competency “out of harm’s way”
- larger groups can train together, even when located in different places.
“Technology is making it easier to provide experiences that are otherwise hard to replicate,” says Andrew Kauser, Chief Product Officer & Senior Vice President of VR and Online Learning at Industrial Training International (ITI). “With VR especially, you can create an entirely simulated environment. You can put people into a virtual experience they are likely to encounter in the real world, such as operating a crane when the wind kicks up. They can learn how to react to that kind of situation but in a safe way.”
[…]CM Labs Simulations is another company that provides simulated crane training. The company also offers training for other lifting equipment like boom trucks, telehandlers and forklifts, along with a variety of earthmoving equipment including dozers, motor graders, excavators, backhoes, wheel loaders, compact track loaders and articulated dump trucks.
“One of our strengths is being able to offer all of those machines on one simulator,” says Alan Limoges, Strategic Relations Manager at CM Labs. That helps schools, unions and construction companies train as many people on as many pieces of equipment as possible — without having to buy excessive amounts of simulation equipment. “It takes less than a minute to switch from one training module to another,” Limoges says.
With equipment simulation training, you can use either headsets or displays (i.e., flat screens). When done correctly, the use of displays can provide an equally immersive experience. Furthermore, some would argue that the use of displays can provide an advantage.
Since VR can be hard on a person’s senses, some people can only train for short periods of time. “A lot of people actually get motion sickness from VR (headsets),” says Lisa Barbieri, Vice President of Marketing & Strategic Partnerships at CM Labs.
“Even people who are comfortable with VR will typically max out at 45 minutes to an hour,” Limoges says. The typical shift on a construction site is a lot longer than that. If the goal of simulated equipment training is to provide an immersive experience that replicates the real world as much as possible, one-hour training sessions might not cut it.
To further help mimic the real world, Barbieri says CM Labs leverages a physics-based core technology. That allows the training scenarios to be tailored to things like wind and soil. Next, mechanical engineers ensure that the simulators behave in a way that closely mimics real-life equipment. Finally, equipment experts make sure the overall training matches what is actually happening on construction job sites. “We have OEMs come in and validate the training, as well,” Barbieri adds.
One nice thing about simulation training is that the technology monitors how the trainee is doing. Objective feedback helps identify areas that may require additional training, which helps tailor training to the individual.
To that point, simulation training is useful for not only new operators but also experienced ones. Even an experienced operator can reinforce skills and practice working through challenging scenarios. Then that operator will be in a better position to handle those scenarios on an actual job site. That’s what ongoing safety training in general is all about, and VR/AR can play a role in making it happen.
Read the full article discussing the role of Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can play in a construction company’s operation in CONEXPO’s website.
