The future of learning: Virtual reality training spaces
What would be a faster, more efficient and more effective way to train the use of automated guided vehicles (AGVs)? This relevant question was posed and well answered in a bachelor thesis done by a student at APE Engineering GmbH on the topic of virtual training. A the successful pilot project, performed in collaboration with APEs customer Cordenka GmbH & Co KG, shows what the future of training might bring.
At Cordenka, prior to the use of automated guided vehicles, thorough training of the designated staff is necessary, e.g. with tasks like the change of the battery pack on the electrically powered, driverless systems. Knowledge of the routes taken by the vehicles is also essential. A bachelor thesis investigated usefulness of implementing this process in a VR headsets, improving the speed, effectiveness and efficiency of learning. Oculus Quest VR headsets were used to provide the training. These devices allow workers to master the training by immersing themselves in a virtual world and learning all the relevant aspects in a ‚tangible‘ setting, before approaching the product in real life. Participants can complete various exercises and test scenarios without any danger or harm. The proprietary software joins 3D models, 2D texts and 180° stereoscopic videos in such a way to enable „learning by watching“ and „learning by imitation“.
The final evaluation with 18 test participants impressively confirmed the potential of VR-based training. Compared to conventional training, all of them learned faster and retained more of the information, regardless of their age. A customized teaching methodology and intuitive user navigation positively affected this process.
Apart from this, the pilot project yielded further valuable insights regarding potential improvements. For example, VR technology – especially wearing the headset – takes some getting used to, and the participants for training will certainly need specific “onboarding” instructions.
With the success achieved and the further challenges ahead, the project will definitely continue beyond pilot phase. Work has already started to optimise the prototype for Cordenka, with more teaching content and interactive tutorials to be added.
For APE the development of virtual training systems has high priority, as they offer many valuable benefits, such as learning in a risk-free environment, flexible use of time and space (a great advantage especially in corona times), experiential and motivational training success, as well as removing the need to block specific workplaces for training sessions.
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