Infrabel, the Belgian railway infrastructure manager, has been provided with a new training tool on the cutting edge of technology: a “3D Cave Track Simulator” equipped with Augmented Reality.
Award-winning simulator
In 2017, Transurb delivered to Infrabel a “Cave Simulator” equipped with Virtual Reality. This training tool, aiming to train track maintenance staff for safety procedures, won the RailTech Innovation Award.
Continuing its momentum in innovative developments, Transurb has proposed to Infrabel to upgrade the Cave with the latest generation of virtual tools: Augmented Reality.
State-of-the-art virtual technology
In order to teach Infrabel’s trackside workers the appropriate reflexes in standard, abnormal and stressful situations, the Cave immerses them in a virtual world representing their daily working environment.
Thanks to the “green screening” technology, this 3D environment is mixed with reality, which allows learners to use their real working tools during the simulation session, such as a horn or a red flag. That way, students learn to use their actual everyday tools and visualise them, as well as their own body, in the 3D world.
This simulation solution therefore offers absolute immersion, allowing learners to acquire and sharpen appropriate reflexes, as well as practice in stressful situations and in different geographical areas of Infrabel’s network.
“Safety first”
As Infrabel always puts safety above everything else, they chose to invest in these latest developments regarding virtual technology and thereby ensure their workers receive the most accurate and realistic training possible.
Transurb is proud to help Infrabel in its ambition to “make the Belgian rail network one of the safest in Europe” and is certainly convinced that risks of accidents in the field will be reduced even further with this training tool.
