Virtual Reality

Metaverse-based training programs offer a realistic and risk-free learning environment that is particularly valuable in industrial contexts, e.g. in immersive training and the simulation of workflows. Challenges remain in the areas of data protection, technological acceptance and integration into existing systems. Using a carefully crafted questionnaire, four expert interviews were conducted to investigate whether the metaverse can innovate training programs effectively and lastingly. Its standardized format yields comparable, reliable data while allowing for an accurate evaluation of the results.

Learning factories offer a practical environment for simulating production processes in which learners can acquire skills through the direct application of new technologies. The Industrial Transformation Lab (InTraLab) models hybrid production processes by combining real-world demonstrators and virtual simulations. This enables learners to acquire the skills that are crucial for the digitally transformed world of work.

Learning factories offer the possibility to plan, execute and analyze the knowledge imparted in theory on realistic industrial systems. This article analyzes the potential of developing and operating a learning factory in a virtual environment. For this purpose, institutions with learning factories are surveyed regarding the challenges and desires in the operation of learning factories and the mentioned aspects are discussed with regard to their representability in Virtual Reality. The result shows that Virtual Reality positively influences a large part of the aspects and has a high potential to solve current challenges in the establishment and operation of learning factories.

This paper focuses on the investigation of current technical challenges in the context of industrial Virtual Reality (VR)-based training applications. This paper analyzes the current state of the art of industrial VR applications and provides a structured overview of the existing technical challenges. The identified challenges are discussed based on an industrial training scenario for the safe handling of electrical components.

On the step to the 4th industrial revolution, production systems are changing in a consequence of technological further developments. The technological development goes along with new concepts for the design of work places and organizational processes. The paper at hand focusses on the resulting changes for employees, the design of working environments and the need for new qualification measures. The paper shows that learning and working will be more and more integrated. This will lead to systems that will be applied directly on the shop floor.

Technologies such as Digital Mock Up (DMU) or Virtual Reality (VR) help to expose and fix design errors at an early stage in the product development process. Nevertheless the discovery of these potential problems is still a common obstacle. The approach introduced within this paper improves the existing virtual product validation method by using the company’s existing knowledge of former projects. The DMU-Cockpit integrates the usually spread experience of known errors in one tool by modelling a relation between classified components and sources of error in a matrix. This allows the automatic selection of potential sources of error for a chosen part and derives the most valuable validation tasks of the knowledge base.

Flexible and quick adaption to changes in design and technical requirements or order quantity is a key factor in the commercial vehicles sector. Due to higher wage costs, European production sites need also efficient and well organized assembly processes. This paper details the implementation of a Virtual Reality System. Using Virtual and Mixed Reality Systems assembly processes can be optimized for production at a very early stage in the design process.