Honeywell’s immersive field simulator is a virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality-based training tool that incorporates a digital twin of the physical plant to provide targeted, on-demand, skill-based training for workers.
Pramesh Maheshwari, vice president and general manager, lifecycle solutions and services, Honeywell Process Solutions, says: “Faced with increasingly complex technology and an experienced workforce nearing retirement, operators need robust technical training and development solutions that accurately depict real-world environments. Traditional training approaches often fail to meet the mark when it comes to helping panel and field operators and maintenance technicians in process plants become better at their jobs. The result can be reliability issues and increased operational incidents.”
Honeywell says that its system offers a smooth, virtual walkthrough to familiarise workers with the plant. It includes avatars that represent virtual team members. The simulator consists of a cloud-hosted, device-agnostic platform. It is said to incorporate flexible 3D models. The simulator is customisable to meet specific instructional needs and project team members and plant subject matter experts can create customised training modules.
“With our end-to-end solution, console and field operators can practice different operating and safety scenarios, including rare but critical situations, in a safe, simulated environment,” said Maheshwari. “This approach significantly improves upon current training tools and methods. VR-based training boosts confidence and retention while improving overall professional skills. Experience shows that students using VR can learn significantly faster than in the classroom.”
Honeywell has incorporated the 3D simulator training into its competency management programme.