Genie’s new virtual reality training platform lets aerial equipment operators learn to avoid real-world hazards – from the safety of a virtual world.
Using a specially programmed Meta Quest 3 VR headset and two handheld controls, operators can participate in four different training scenarios. The simulations are designed to help familiarize users with the control and operation of a Genie Z45 FE articulated boom lift.
I had the opportunity to try out the technology at the recent ARA Show and can attest to how realistic it is. Much like the VR blooper videos all over the Internet, my first time using a VR headset was a little disorienting and otherworldly. It really feels like you’re on a moving machine, and at one point, I got a little wobbly.
To prevent real-world accidents or injuries, Genie says the simulation will shut off if you walk outside of a certain range. (Watch a clip of a Genie employee demonstrating the Ghost Arena simulation in the video below.)
“If I make a mistake, it’s in the virtual world, not the real world,” says Genie Training Director Scott Owyen. “But your mind doesn’t know the difference between virtual reality and reality.”
“If you tip the machine over, from a third-person perspective, you’ll see a crash dummy in the platform,” he adds. “Your mind will never forget that you experienced that, so when you’re in the real machine, you’ll think, ‘I don’t ever want to experience that again.’ It lets them learn about those hazardous situations before they ever get on.”
The training experience was developed in collaboration with software company that is experienced in creating virtual reality programs for a variety of applications and industries, including defense flight simulation.
