Application of VR and HF technologies for improving industrial safety

Safety in industrial environments can nowadays be regarded as an issue of major importance. Large amounts of money are spent by industries on this matter in order to improve safety in all levels, by reducing risks of causing damages to equipment, human injuries or even fatalities. Virtual Reality (VR) has proved to be ideal for providing operational experience without exposing trainees to industrial dangers, thus avoiding serious accidents. VR technologies can offer not only ideal visualisation and interaction features but at the same time offer a significant level of immersion to the trainee. The combination of VR, rule-based technologies and process simulators offers an all inclusive solution towards industrial training, safety management and accident investigation. This paper presents the technologies described above used in the VIRTHUALIS IP for various safety actions in industrial environments. Keywords: Virtual Reality, Virtual Environment, Human Factors, Industrial Safety