SenseGlove, an innovative start-up specialised in Virtual Reality, wants to elevate virtual training of industrial employees to a higher level. With the use of ‘extended reality’ (XR) techniques, a fully simulated work environment is created.
Duration
From May to December 2022
Partners (TU Delft)
Do IoT Fieldlab, RoboHouse, TU Delft
Partners (other)
Extended reality is a collective term for applications of Virtual Reality and Augmented (or Mixed) Reality. This research focuses on the training of employees using SenseGlove: in a virtual environment the trainee can practice certain actions with the glove. The glove actually gives sensoring feedback, such as feeling that you are touching something, picking it up, etc.
Currently, training workforce in industrial environments is expensive and inefficient. On-site training keeps production machines and employees occupied for a certain period of time. In addition, the currently available XR training courses do not feel realistic, due to the interaction via game controllers. The to be developed XR training allows employees to practice flexibly at a distance, without occupying production machines.
The aim of this project is to jointly learn how to design, build and apply XR training for the manufacturing industry. One of the biggest challenges here is the interaction between the trainer and multiple users at the same time – on the same premises or from different locations. This is new and technically complex. In order to validate the new training method, it will be compared to existing methods in terms of quality, usability and learning time, among other things.
The use of Do IoT Fieldlab’s new 5G wireless communication technology allows this research to be carried out. A very high bandwidth combined with minimal latency are essential for virtual training. The current 5G networks of mobile operators do not yet offer the technical advantages required for this research. After completion of this project, a demo facility will remain available at RoboHouse at TU Delft Campus.
This project is enabled by the SMITZH programme (Smart Manufacturing Industrial Application in the West of the Netherlands).
Watch the video on Senseglove’s and The Barn’s on their experimental results with 5G technology so far.