Virtual Reality System for Inspection and Training in Wheel Loader
Tainã Ribeiro de Oliveira, Guilherme Iglesias Rocha Gomes, Thiago S. Martins, Luiz Felipe Muniz Rocha Borges, Gabriel Giesen Ludke, Rodrigo Varejão Andreão, Luan Guio Cotini, Pedro Henrique Porto Viana, Marcelo Queiroz Schimidt, Mário Mestria · 2022
In this study, a simulator is proposed for inspection and training of a wheel loader based on a first-person serious game and virtual reality. The simulator was developed using a cross-platform game engine and integrated into various virtual reality headsets. The goal of the game was to conduct maintenance inspection procedures on the wheel loader of a mining company. A group of 34 users tested the simulator and completed a survey. The results showed that the system is suitable for inspection and training of staff before they can use a real wheel loader at a mining company. The findings revealed that implementing a simulator for inspection and maintenance training can enhance the process, reducing expenses and increasing safety. In addition, methods in the real-world of training are scarcely sufficient to instruct operators in all dangerous situations. These methods are generally effective, but they do not give operators the real-life impression of all scenarios. In this sense, the serious game makes the training effective because it gives operators a sense of realism. Beyond, the simulator can be extended to include other types of procedures with several situations.