A critical function in nearly all industrial and manufacturing settings is to provide high-quality and effective training in environmental health and safety (EHS). Although one might argue that EHS is not the most exciting or engaging topic, a strong understanding of EHS guidelines and most importantly an ability to ACT quickly and effectively under ANY CONDITIONS, including high stress and pressure, can be the difference between a smooth-running operation with only minor safety issues, and an environmental disaster.

The goal of this system is to train direct neural connections between sensory regions and motor regions in the brain that drive behavior
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The terms “act” and “any conditions” are emphasized for a reason. It is one thing to know “what” to do, to have the cognitive ability to verbalize the EHS guidelines, and to pass a written compliance test, but it is another thing (and mediated by different learning and performance systems in the brain) to know “how” to do it, and to be able to perform those behaviors under any conditions, including under high stress or pressure (referred to as situational awareness). The ability to verbalize and pass written tests is important for communication and compliance concerns, but the ability to behave appropriately regardless of the level of chaos and stress, is often the difference between life and death.

The key to xR technologies for training is that they are experience-based
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Because the learning systems in the brain that mediate a cognitive understanding of EHS are distinct from those that mediate a behavioral understanding of EHS and situational awareness, there is very little transfer of cognitive knowledge into behavioral understanding or situational awareness. This is a serious problem in EHS because the majority of EHS training targets a cognitive and not a behavioral understanding.

In this brief report I show that extended reality (xR) technologies hold great promise for training behavior and situational awareness in EHS. xR technologies reduce the burden on cognitive systems whose processing is adversely affected by stress and pressure, provide the opportunity for limitless behavioral practice in virtual or real-world settings, and speed learning and retention by broadly engaging multiple learning systems in the brain in synchrony.

Brain Science of Learning in EHS

The key to xR technologies for training is that they are experience-based. As Albert Einstein so eloquently stated

“Learning is an experience. Everything else is just information”

Experiential learning provides the foundation for the effectiveness of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) applications in EHS. As elaborated below, experiential learning is effective because it facilitates the engagement of multiple learning systems in the brain in synchrony.

The human brain is comprised of at least three distinct learning systems. A schematic of the learning systems is provided in the figure below. The cognitive skills learning system in the brain has evolved to obtain and process knowledge and facts. Whether studying the EHS rules and regulations, reading text or watching a video showing you how to test and don a respirator, or taking a compliance test, the cognitive skills learning system is being recruited. Cognitive skill learning tends to involve processing text and schematics and is limited by the learner’s working memory and attention span. It requires focus and mental repetition for long-term memory storage. The cognitive skills learning system encompasses the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and associated medial temporal lobe structures in the brain. The ultimate goal of this system is to transfer knowledge from short term memory in the prefrontal cortex to long term memory in the hippocampus and medial temporal lobes. Processing in this system is adversely affected by stress, pressure, and anxiety. The cognitive skills system is slow to develop, not reaching maturity until individuals are in their 20’s, and begins to decline in middle age.

The human brain is comprised of at least three distinct learning systems
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A critical function in nearly all industrial and manufacturing settings is to provide high-quality and effective training in environmental health and safety
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The behavioral skills learning system in the brain has evolved to learn behaviors. It is one thing to know what to do, but it is completely different to know how to do it. Knowing the safety rules and regulations is completely different from knowing how to initiate those behaviors in an emergency. Memorizing the location of the fire equipment and the steps to take to use it is completely different from being able to take the shortest path to the equipment and quickly and accurately engaging the equipment in fighting a fire. Behavioral skills are learned by doing. Processing in this system is optimized when behavior is interactive and is followed in real-time (literally within milliseconds) by corrective feedback. Behaviors that are rewarded will be more likely to occur in the future, and behaviors that are punished will be less likely to occur in the future. Interestingly, this system does not rely on working memory and attention, and “overthinking it” hinders behavioral skills learning. Behavioral skill learning is mediated by the basal ganglia and gradual, incremental dopamine-mediated changes in behavior. The ultimate goal of this system is to train direct neural connections between sensory regions and motor regions in the brain that drive behavior.

One advantage of VR is that you can be transported into any situation, including chaotic situations in which you will need to make fast and accurate decisions under pressure
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The experiential learning system has evolved to represent the sensory aspects of an experience, whether visual, auditory, tactile or olfactory. Every experience is unique and adds rich context to cognitive and behavioral skills learning. Experiential learning (in combination with emotional learning systems; not displayed in the figure above) is the key to situational awareness. By training individuals under a broad array of setting including those that occur infrequently, those that involve chaotic and high-stress conditions, or those that require quick action, you are training the broad-based situational awareness that is critical in EHS. It is the nuance and unique aspects of an experience that lead to generalized learning and transfer from the specific training scenario to other related situations that develops situational awareness. The critical brain regions associated with experiential learning differ as a function of the sensory input. Visual representations are formed in the occipital lobes and auditory representations are formed in the temporal lobes. Tactile representations are formed in the parietal lobes and olfactory information is represented in the piriform cortex and olfactory bulb.

Some xR Applications in EHS

Suppose you work in a chemical plant with a large number of flammable chemicals. Should a fire break out, there are a number of steps that you must follow to contain the blaze. This includes:

• taking the shortest path from your current location to the fire suppression equipment
• donning some protective gear
• connecting some hoses, flipping some switches
• returning to the blaze via the shortest path, and
• directing the fire extinguisher directly at the fire

To “learn” these steps you could read a manual with text and figures. This places a heavy load on working memory and attention to translate the abstract information into a visual representation of the steps you would need to take during a fire. Alternatively, you could read the manual and also watch a video that demonstrates the steps being taken by an actor or via animation. This is better because the experiential systems in your brain are being engaged to some degree. However, in both cases, you are likely sitting at a desk and are attempting to store this information in memory for use later during a real-world situation in which your and your co-worker’s safety is in jeopardy from a chemical fire.

Alternatively, suppose an AR tool, such as a Hololens, is used during training. You pick a random location on the factory floor, don the Hololens and start the AR fire training protocol. The system knows your location and tracks your movements. Using visual cues like colored arrows, you are directed to the fire suppression equipment via the shortest possible path. You are given step-by-step directions (verbally, visually, or both) on how to don the appropriate safety equipment, prepare the fire suppression equipment, and are then directed to the fire. Once at the fire, visual cues are provided that direct you on how to start the equipment. This whole process is timed, the system notes what steps you performed correctly and incorrectly, and all of this information is made available to you and your supervisor. In this case, you are “learning by doing” with step-by-step guidance and feedback being provided. You are not only gaining a cognitive understanding of the steps to take, but you are being trained simultaneously on the relevant behaviors. You can repeat this process periodically from different locations on the factory floor, and at some point, you can be tested without the AR cues.

An AR tool could also be used to provide general training on all of the safety equipment in the plant. You might don some AR glasses that direct you to predefined locations in the workplace. At each location, your view of the workplace is augmented with static text overlays or dynamic video that provides specific information on the safety guidelines or usage of safety tools. For specific safety equipment, you could receive step-by-step instructions or visual labels describing exactly how the equipment works. You might then be asked to demonstrate your skill with a specific safety tool, with or without text-based prompting and receive real-time feedback.

An AR tool could be used to provide general training on all of the safety equipment in the plant
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VR tools are also effective for EHS training. One advantage of VR is that you can be transported into any situation, including chaotic situations in which you will need to make fast and accurate decisions under pressure. For example, you might don a VR headset and be transported into the middle of a workplace emergency. You might scan your virtual environment watching personnel follow or fail to follow the guidelines within this chaotic situation while receiving auditory feedback on the appropriate actions. VR also allows you to experience rare, but potentially catastrophic situations, such as a chemical explosion or chemical spill.

In these AR and VR examples, there is minimal need to translate abstract text or figures into a visual representation because this information is being supplemented with experiential learning that is proximal and salient. Because multiple brain systems are active, the memory traces in each system are strong and interconnected. Behavioral learning will also occur when you demonstrate your skill with safety tools and receive feedback either with the AR tool, or in VR with haptic feedback incorporated. The applications of xR technology in EHS are many.

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies our VR Consultancy service offers comprehensive support in strategic deployment of Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality

Todd Maddox is Science, Sports and Training Correspondent at Tech Trends, and the CEO of Cognitive Design and Statistical Consulting. Follow him on Twitter @wtoddmaddox

The post Report: XR Health and Safety Training appeared first on Tech Trends.

Can a treadmill solve the problem of VR motion sickness? We take a look at the ROVR, which promises to remedy the queasy feeling we get when our body movement doesn’t match what we’re seeing, known as “Simulator Sickness”.

For a relatively early prototype, Wizdish’s client list is certainly impressive. They have sold to over 100 brands in 20 countries including Nissan, Wells Fargo, and The British Army
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Suppose you’re playing a game like Fallout 4 in VR. In the real world you’re sitting down, but in the virtual one you’re running away from an oversized cockroach, desperately trying to stay alive. Bethesda is working on their own iteration of their iconic series, but not all first-person shooters are being remade with VR in mind.

Simulation Sickness is real, and you will throw up
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Sitting while playing but running in the virtual world creates a massive disconnect between what you see and what you actually feel. Because the two don’t match, the gaming experience is disturbed. That same disconnect is what causes two thirds of us to experience some form of VR-related nausea, according to Dr. Charles King, Co-founder of Wizdish.

“Simulation Sickness is real, and you will throw up…which could of course be a severe impediment to the rise of the VR market,” Dr. King told the audience at Virgin Media’s Techstars demo day in London. His Oxford-based company recently graduated from the prestigious accelerator and is now gearing up for a crowdfunding campaign to finance the development of a consumer version of their product.

That product is called the ROVR which consists of both a platform and shoes that allow you to “walk” freely in virtual environments, supported by an enclosing frame that stops you from bumping into things or falling over. Although there were a few near misses in my demo — it feels quite slippery.

For a relatively early prototype, Wizdish’s client list is certainly impressive. They have sold to over 100 brands in 20 countries including Nissan, Wells Fargo, and The British Army. But although they have clearly been successful in their B2B strategy, and claim that over 30,000 people have already used the product, their sights are now set on a much more ambitious target.

“In 2013 there were less than 1,000 head-mounted VR displays sold worldwide, so it made sense for us to work with companies that had their own development capacity,” says Dr. King. “This year, however, there will be 12 million HMDs sold. By Christmas 2017 — when we’ll be ready to launch the next version of the ROVR for the consumer market  — there will be 500 million headsets out there, and projections for 2020 are in the region of 2 billion.”

A big part of the reason why people are so keen to try immersive VR is precisely because of the intensity of those experiences, but there are big questions around whether our bodies can actually handle the potential side effects. Some experts have actually gone so far as to argue for the banning of VR headsets, at least until we know more about the long-term effects of prolonged exposure.

“Walking is the best and most immersive way of experiencing both the real world and the virtual world; because you’re moving in sync with what you’re seeing, it solves the simulation sickness problem,” says Dr. King.

Walking is the best and most immersive way of experiencing both the real world and the virtual world
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“Cyber sickness seems to be caused by a disparity between what the brain expects or anticipates and what the sensory system is telling the body,” explains Wizdish Co-founder Julian Williams. “Some of this is caused by latency and can be due to the quality of the sensors, or indeed a lack of sensors. Positional tracking detects where your head is in space and if it’s absent (as with the Oculus DK1, Gear VR, or Google Cardboard) just moving your head around can induce nausea. These are less of a problem on the ROVR as it rewards good balance, posture, and core stability by keeping your center of gravity in one place.”

Our sensitivity to forward motion is usually less pronounced if you gaze at the horizon
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Another major cause for the problem is disparity between your visual and vestibular senses, which can be described as the ‘inner ear problem’. It’s what makes you feel sick when you spin quickly on the spot.

“If your vision rotates when you head doesn’t, or by a different amount, most people feel ill very quickly. This is why traditional gamepads can cause significant problems when you use the joysticks for navigation,” explains Williams.

Our sensitivity to forward motion is usually less pronounced if you gaze at the horizon — a trick I remember well from my constant battles against carsickness as a child. But it does vary a lot from person to person. As hinted above, I’m quite prone to nausea, whereas others might have a much higher tolerance to what sends me reaching for the sick bag. Interestingly, Oculus also found in their own research that there isn’t much consistency regarding which games cause nausea, as different people can react differently to different games.

“The most important fact about walking for us is that you don’t think about it,” says Williams. “You probably don’t remember walking to where you are now. We found that as long as you move your legs to traverse after a while you push that to the back of your mind and only concentrate on where you’re going — not how you move. This is the simple psychological trick that makes the ROVR so effective. When you first get on just the action of moving your feet around feels fun too. We have made sure that the ROVR does what it does extremely well. It may take a few people a little while longer to acclimate to it, as we all have different levels of physical confidence. We found that some experience of skating usually helps, but almost everyone can use the ROVR sufficiently very quickly.”

If you’re familiar with the VR ecosystem, chances are you’re aware of other treadmills on the market. The Virtuix Omni, for example, is probably the most well-known of the bunch. When I asked Williams how the ROVR compares to other treadmills, such as the aforementioned Virtuix Omni, he explained their product is much smaller, lighter, and easier to use.

“You don’t need to wear a harness or any special clothing, plus you can just put the kick-on overshoes over your normal trainers or similar footwear, which makes for a much better user experience,” says Williams. “We also have the patent for using a low friction dish design, which we haven’t licensed to anyone, and we’re first to market, already shipping to over 20 countries.”

Williams says that many people reported not feeling cyber sickness for the first time when using the ROVR. They believe that their solution, combined with mobile VR positional tracking, could largely solve the nausea problems in walking games, and they’re hopeful Google will include it in its Daydream spec.

“What we won’t do is add functionality that’s a compromise, such as leaning in order to walk, or kludges to allow for things like strafing,” says Williams. “We find that people prefer to understand and use the device within its limits rather than finding that it can’t do other things especially well. Taking strafing as an example, you might let people swing one leg to indicate this intention, but unless your body moves sideways to match the vision you can still induce nausea.”

Many people reported not feeling cyber sickness for the first time when using the ROVR
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They’re now taking the feedback from their B2B clients into the next phase of development for the ROVR 2, which will be a small, lightweight and collapsible version of their current prototype, although at this early stage they can’t yet say how much that will cost. But considering how much people are already spending on VR, the price of a vomit-free ride seems well worth a few extra bucks.

This article originally appeared on UploadVR

The @wizdish wants to offer another #VR treadmill solution for motion sickness https://t.co/knmCq2Y7LC via @alicebonasio

— Upload (@UploadVR) August 31, 2016

For companies looking to get into Immersive technologies such as VR/AR/MR/XR our Virtual Reality Consultancy services offer guidance and support on how best to incorporate these into your brand strategy.

Alice Bonasio is a VR Consultant and Tech Trends’ Editor in Chief. She also regularly writes for Fast Company, Ars Technica, Quartz, Wired and others. Connect with her on LinkedIn and follow @alicebonasio on Twitter.

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