VR Simulation Moves Into the Trucking Industry
Recent research from Brandon Hall Group shows that the use of virtual reality (VR) as a training modality is growing rapidly in “high-consequence” industries—those in which operator mistakes can cause significant property damage or fatalities or both. According to the study, nearly a third of surveyed companies in such industries identified VR tools as a top learning priority over the next 24 months—a 60% increase over two years.1 Image credit: Advanced Training Systems “We’re definitely seeing that in the motor freight industry,” says John Kearney, CEO, Advanced Training Systems LLC. Kearney, whose company is a leading designer and manufacturer of virtual simulators for driver training, among other applications, adds, “Trucking companies, driving schools, and the general public are increasingly aware that simulation training—that is to say, virtual reality—helps produce drivers who are better prepared to deal with any situation they might encounter.” Simulation, says Kearney, solves a classic training dilemma: how do you safely prepare trainees to deal with dangerous or extraordinary situations? Once dismissed as a toy, VR has been objectively shown to offer measurable improvement in the performance of tasks as disparate as flying advanced jets and handling dangerous chemicals.2 This, Kearney notes, makes it a [...]
