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Using Virtual Reality in Mine Rescue Operations
The Health and Safety Issue
Mine rescue programs were first established to respond to fires underground. However, mine rescue crews today are trained to tackle all types of non-fire emergencies, and to rescue workers who may be trapped or injured. The rescue is led by a control group on the surface and a mines rescue team in an underground mine. Because this is a enclosed environment, small emergencies can quickly escalate to impact human safety and property damage, so effective communication systems are essential.
MASHA's Partners
MASHA's mine rescue TAC monitors the research project, which is undertaken by MIRARCO in conjunction with Laurentian University. The project is funded by the Research Advisory Council of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB).
The Research Project
A mine rescue control group usually communicates via telephone with the rescue team, which is performing the task. This project explores the benefits of using Virtual Reality (VR) as a simulation tool to aid in the training of mine rescue teams and as a communication tool between the control group and rescue team during an emergency. Because this is a new VR application, the goal of this project will be to determine what information to display in VR to best aid the rescue process, and to identify the most promising training methods using VR. Once determined, it is the purpose and objective of this Development project to enable the applicant to detail a full proposal for WSIB on the requirements to develop VR capability for Mines Rescue applications.
For more information on this project, contact : Alex Gryska |
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