Our blog has previously examined some of the most groundbreaking applications of virtual reality in both medical and corporate training settings. This time, we thought we would highlight a few of our favorite VR learning applications utilized in an entirely different realm: industrial training. While many manufacturing companies have yet to fully embrace the potential of VR as a powerful and cost-effective teaching tool, there is no shortage of laborious tasks and scenarios which would be greatly enhanced using hands-on, interactive VR. Let’s take a closer look at some of our favorite applications of VR in industry training that we’ve seen thus far:
While it may initially appear to look almost like a video game, Volkswagen’s virtual learning workshop is all business – teaching workers in real-time how to properly handle the ride-along platform in a car manufacturing plant. Volkswagen’s employees are now trained extensively using VR simulations prior to starting new tasks in real-life, enhancing workplace safety for both the user and those working around them. Volkswagen reports that thus far, employee feedback regarding the VR training module has been incredibly positive. Employees are eager to repeat the trainings to continuously improve their performance.
Raymond Corporation’s advanced virtual reality forklift simulation was developed in order to help forklift operators, particularly novice and seasonal employees, practice operating the vehicle prior to deployment on a real factory floor. In addition to using a VR headset, Raymond’s custom training system attaches to a physical forklift, offering trainees the opportunity to practice operations using the same buttons and components as an actual forklift. Used to supplement existing classroom training, the company hopes the VR training module will lead to operators feeling more comfortable in real-life when using the forklift.
One of VR’s unique attributes is its ability to immerse users in environments that are difficult to train in, but must be worked in. For 3M, that environment is a narrow walkway hundreds of feet in the air above a skyscraper construction site. Thanks to training modules like “Working at Height,” “Dropped Tools Prevention,” and “Harness Inspection,” workers can learn new safety techniques and apply their knowledge in a controlled, safe, and simulated environment before ever stepping foot into a real-life worksite. The company hopes that in addition to increased employee safety, VR simulations will help workers improve productivity when performing certain tasks.
Want to read more about how VR changes learning? Our CEO Dan White offers his perspective in one of our most popular blogs.