Electricity distribution networks in VR

This simulator shows the possibility to train employees working in the distribution industry. Changeable environments, interactive tasks and one's overall evaluation of his/her own training are the key elements to progressive training experience we provide.

In this particular simulator, the electrician has to take care of one of the element that stopped functioning in the facility. Generator must be cleaned, some of the parts - changed and only after a clean task performance one is able to evaluate his work and learn new alternative methods of the successful completion of the same task.

Target audience: electricians, electricity distribution companies, students.

This project was initiated by our company to show the capabilities of most memorable training using the latest HTC VR technologies. After researching and finding the conditions and problems of and electrician job, we were able to adjust the training to the higher level with removing any necessary actions and focusing on safe, realistic and instructing VR training simulator.

Simulator is used for electrician trainings, visualized electrician profession and other related job showcase of electricity distribution networks industry.

Development time: 2,5 months
Engine: Unity / Unreal
Platform: PC + HTC Vive
Setting: Nowadays
Visual style: realism
Language: multi (ENG/RU/LT)
Age: 12+
Stage: demo

01
RESEARCH
Extra safety and extra knowledge

To start with, it must be told that few of the main reasons for implementing virtual reality and 3D solutions into the existing working schemes is the safety, total knowledge absorption and cost-effectiveness. These are the key points our company worked on while creating the training simulator for electricity distribution networks. As it turned out after the in-depth research our R&D team had done, the mentioned aspects like safety and knowledge seems to be well connected in terms of accidents and dangerous situations that occur while working. We have analysed all the main accidents that happened in the past 10 years in electricity distribution industry through-out the world in order to clarify on the repeating mistakes. Not to mention eye-to-eye discussions with some main industry players in Europe and Asia, we have also collected the accessible data from mass media centers and research laboratories at couple of educational universities. In collaboration with human performance specialists, we agreed on the key elements that became distinctible through-out the case studies and transformed the gained statistics to modern solutions. While those included not only digitalization of industry's communication and work organization infrastructure, it started to be clear what exact products would solve the main issues right away and start providing incomparably better results for the companies. 

VR training simulators for electricity workers with three-dimensional visual integrations were products we focused on to create for this particular industry.

02
DEVELOPMENT
Electrical facility that makes you think you were there in real life

The development process of this particular simulator started with the accurate recreation of an electrical facility. Using the reference material gathered at research stage, our 2D and 3D designers have used full computer engine capability to realize ambitious visuals and realistic atmosphere details. Therefore a specific scenario was made to show a glimpse of an electrician's job in that kind of facility and our level designers made sure the scenario was implemented accordingly to the created location. 

Our user experience (UX) professionals have tested the app and configured control scheme, tool and navigation options to fit the actual electrician needs.

03
MAINTENANCE
Future updates and possible custom solutions

As with a few of other our projects, we have plans to expand the possible features in this simulator. Those include multiplayer option meaning electricians or any other facility workers would be able to train together. This would eventually lead the way to better internal communication and healthy competition in terms of work related skills. Moreover, numerous additional assets are coming in the near future as we are constantly complementing our own database of modelled 3D models, also 3D models rendered from scans of real life buildings. Those assets include not only mentioned building structures and modern facilities, but also various lesser details like tools, helmets, heavy work equipment like crane mechanics and many more. Together with these additions, we are constantly upgrading the user self-evaluation system in order to create a truly one kind of training experience where the trainee would not only be able to evaluate his tasks and learn from mistakes, but rather keep track of his progression, compile his personal training scheme and work on the skills he would like to improve the most. Even on top of that we are integrating the platform which will help the management team to oversee the training process of company's employees and provide a vast help in evaluating the whole person's professional profile while working at the company.