EUROPE: An agreement to co-operate to develop the use of virtual and augmented reality tools in specialist rail industry training has been signed by Germany’s Deutsche Bahn and Luxembourg’s CFL.
DB says the relevance of immersive technologies in vocational training is increasing, enabling a merger of the physical and digital worlds. ‘Extended reality’ combines the concepts of virtual and augmented reality, and DB says these technologies already complement the qualifications of prospective dispatchers, maintenance technicians and trainees.
Virtual and augmented reality training tools offer a number of advantages over traditional methods, including risk-free training in safety-critical situations; a greater role for ‘learning by doing’ thanks to VR glasses with motion detection; and time and cost savings through a reduced need for physical training accessories and demo equipment.
A pilot project between the two companies is already underway, covering the 3D modelling of passenger and freight rolling stock. These are used to create virtual learning scenarios for isolating the brakes, for work on suspension components and for coupling and uncoupling of wagons.
