Twelve offshore wind workers have become the first in the world to receive certification through virtual reality training.
The union workers from Massachusetts, US, were trained through a partnership between VinciVR and Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy. The VR courses feature the Global Wind Organization’s curriculum.
Vinci developed VR simulations of ports and wind turbines to replace hands-on training elements for critical GWO courses, specifically Basic Technical Training and Slinger Signaller. The software enables users to commission a wind turbine and direct crane lifts of heavy loads like turbine blades.
Screengrab of Vinci’s Wind turbine blade crane lift simulation.
The simulations made courses deployable to job sites like New Bedford while cutting costs and enabling realistic training.
Earlier this year, these VR tools were audited and certified for use by GWO.
“Massachusetts has the honor of being the first in the US to develop commercial-scale offshore wind, so it is only fitting that the first workers to be certified with this revolutionary VR training happens here,” said Eagle Wu, CEO of Vinci.
The VR simulations were developed with funding from MassCEC.
