VIDEO: Safety traning steps into Virtual Reality

Preparing for a new job or task used to mean poring over a handbook. Those books still play a role at ExxonMobil, but with the help of cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) training simulations and the team at our ‘Digital Garage’ tech hub, new and more engaging ways are now available to help people learn.

Thanks to technologists at the Digital Garage, people training for new tasks can now put on a VR headset and headphones, grab a controller and plug into the virtual world, engaging multiple senses. They can turn their heads, walk around and watch the VR world react – and long after the virtual training session is over, the skills learned remain relevant and real. For oil & gas operators and chemicals manufacturers, practice in a virtual simulation is more than a game, it’s a vital lesson.

Each scene is designed and brought to life by the Digital Garage’s Immersive Technology Studio. The studio’s design lead, Kyle Daughtry, and architect, Athicha “M” Dhanormchitphong, blend insights from experts and textbook lessons to create a 3D world.

Immersive simulations can transport VR users onto the loading dock of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, where they spend a day on the job assessing and reacting to different scenarios, from the mundane to the complex. The experiences allow employees to hone their instincts, catch their mistakes and make instant decisions, so that they’re better equipped to work smarter and safer.