Underground and surface mines can be hazardous
places, so when it comes to safety training in the mining profession, the old
saying “practice makes perfect” holds true. To improve hazard safety instruction,
a team at South Dakota Mines has spent the
past year developing a virtual reality (VR) training module that mimics a
mining environment.
“We are using new technologies combined with
neuroscience to help people learn faster and more effectively,” says Clint
Kling, a mining engineering doctoral graduate student who is currently working
on the project under the guidance of Associate Professor Purushotham Tukkaraja,
Ph.D., in collaboration with the company Motive.io. The research is funded by
the United States Department of Labor, Mine Safety and Health Administration
(MSHA) with a grant of $100,000.
The VR hazard awareness training is designed for new
and inexperienced miners and will be available in English or Spanish. It will
be conducted alongside the already existing MSHA training program at South
Dakota Mines, the local mine sites, and will also be used in MSHA’s refresher
training courses. The team plans to develop this program at the local level to
establish good results before a national rollout. The researchers are also
taking their ideas to the marketplace. They are ready to collaborate with any
industry partners such as mining, construction, or general industry to develop...