Genie has added a virtual reality component to its classroom and hands-on training programs.
Genie VR training allows operators to control a Genie Z-45 FE articulated boom lift in four training scenarios designed to assist with control familiarization and operation. Trainees wear specially programmed headsets.
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“We invested in this new training platform to positively enhance the training we provide and to prepare people for the actual scenarios they could encounter in the field,” said Scott Owyen, training director, in a statement. “It’s not just a cool gimmick: It enhances learning and, therefore, safety.”
“While VR training feels very realistic, it simply can’t replace that real-world experience,” he said. “But, allowing someone to practice what they’ve learned in a classroom, before going up in a lift, not only makes what they’ve learned more memorable, it enhances safety. That’s because, in a virtual world, you can experience a catastrophe without actually getting hurt. And, because the brain thinks it actually happened, it is an incredibly emotional and impressionable way to learn.”
How was the Genie VR Experience developed?
The visuals in the VR experience were developed by utilizing Genie CAD drawings, real world specifications, performance characteristics, videos of equipment operating, and sound recordings of an actual Z-45 FE lift. Genie chose headsets that are highly portable and offer superior graphics, as well as customized refresh rates that mirrors how we see things in real-life to reduce chances that a participant will experience motion sickness.
“We chose to make the training self-contained to ensure robust performance,” Owyen said. “It doesn’t rely on internet access, and we can take them to our customers, rather than requiring someone to come to us. That might be out in the oil fields, underground in a salt mine, or any number of places with unreliable internet.”
Source: Genie
