KIM MCPHEE, Director of VR & Online Learning, Industrial Training International
Let's say you're on your last lift of the day and your signalperson gives you the hoist signal. You start your pick and follow his signals, when suddenly something seems out of place. The signalperson begins to yell, and you finally see it: Your outrigger has started to fail. You curse yourself for not double-checking the settings from the previous shift operator; he is an experienced operator, after all.
Your mind continues to race and urgently search for your next course of action, but it's your first failure experience, and in the time it takes to make your decision, the crane begins to tip. You scan the area to ensure personnel have cleared and brace for impact. Suddenly, your line of sight goes black and you can breathe again -- you've failed the scenario.
The explanation
Virtual reality (VR) training provides for this type of on-the-job training with real-life scenarios in an environment that allows the user to walk away safely at the end of the session. It permits repetitive practice and exposure to high-risk situations that create unprecedented ability to develop skills that otherwise take years of hands-on experience to acquire. Incorporating this capability into a training program makes for an unparalleled employee safety and development package.
The stats
- Acceptance: According to Jabil, 69 percent of companies think VR/AR (augmented reality) will become mainstream within 5 years (91 percent within 10 years), but only 29 percent are actively planning or implementing.
- Retention: According to Education Corner, the average person retains 75 percent of what they learn from practice, compared to only 30-percent retention via a demonstration. Incredibly, the average retention level goes down to 5 percent from lecture-based teaching.
- Recall: If you've experienced a situation or made a mistake before your brain's early warning signal is triggered, you know critical decisions can be made before conscious consideration has even begun.
The solution
VR crane simulations provide various scenarios and crane types, with ongoing development of several new crane types and scenarios at a cost and quality that's unrivaled by other training methods. Software and hardware packages are tailored to customer needs, so you pay for what you need, not what you don't. With years of industry-leading experience in the crane, rigging and lift planning training arena, developers of these simulations are able to provide in-depth administrator training to help maximize your return on any training investment.
For more information, visit www.iti.com/vr or call (800) 727-6355.
