ACM TechNews

Virtual World Is the Safest for Miners

University of Adelaide (08/01/08) Gibson, Candace

Virtual reality and video games will be used to train miners in South Australia. Researchers from the University of Adelaide and the University of New South Wales will develop a simulated mining environment, including the hazards that miners face as they work at heights and use ladders, scaffolds, and elevated work platforms. "Virtual reality simulation and computer gaming are powerful tools for conditioning human behavior," says Adelaide professor Anton van den Hengel, director of the Australian Center for Visual Technologies. "Both technologies enable users to experience a range of situations that would otherwise be impossible, or prohibitively dangerous or expensive." BHP Billiton will use the virtual reality simulator model to train miners at its Olympic Dam mining site. Other participants in the $430,000 collaborative project include TAFE, the national industry skills council Skills DMC, and the Resources and Engineering Skills Alliance.

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/news/news28561.html

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