Virtual reality puts crane operators in the air without actually being there

The virtual reality crane operating software developed by Edmonton-based Serious Labs can be played on a motion-based platform, where the user sits in an operator chair. With responsive foot pedals, hand controls and a full-motion platform, the simulator recreates the experience of handling a crane, to give the operator the full crane-cab experience. In Alberta, aspiring crane operators are being taught how to operate their machinery with the help of virtual reality (VR) simulators that owe a lot to video game software. Serious Labs, an Edmonton-based software company, has partnered with Industrial Training International Inc. (ITI), a U.S. company that conducts training and instructional design, to produce VR-based simulators that teach crane operators how to use the equipment without actually having to strap themselves into the machinery itself.The software can be played on a motion-based platform, where the user sits in an operator chair. With responsive foot pedals, hand controls and a full-motion platform, the simulator recreates the experience of handling a crane, to give the operator the full crane-cab experience.