Virtual reality (VR) has been a supportive technology for professionals undergoing training of all types, whether in defence, medicine, surgery, security, DE&I, and even fire safety ,for the last decade.

With the latter, WS Darley has remained a top immersive education firm specialising in such training tools. Armed with the right VR and mixed reality (MR) paradigms, firefighters have increasingly saved lives; both those of the people they serve as well as their own.

Another company, Thorne Fire and Security, has revealed that customers have backed their initiatives to train using VR learning platforms.

As reported in the Lancashire Telegraph, the Nelson-based security company recently invested £20k to receive a cutting-edge VR headset platform, complete with a connected fire extinguisher tool.

Using the system, customers can now train, effectively and repeatedly, to tackle common fire safety scenarios faced in the real world.

The article notes that Wayne Dowell, Firefighter, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, is leading the programme.

Under his direction, customers can tackle major fire and safety issues and receive feedback on their responses.

Additionally, students can record their reactions to virtual threats to learn whether they they effectively neutralised them or should retrain.

Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, Dowell explained that VR was “without doubt the future of fire safety training.”

He added,

“The technology is just incredible and has been specifically designed to provide immersive fire extinguisher training in diverse workplace environments. Training typically covers common fire scenarios such as kitchens, offices, and industrial settings, but we can tailor the sessions to meet the needs of a variety of workplaces.”

Furthermore, he explained that the trainer was like “nothing I have ever seen before,” adding that it massively boosted fire safety training capabilities compared to “what has historically been a boring PowerPoint.”

Concluding, Dowell stated that he led several sessions and noted that users “really enjoy it.” For him and his students, engagement rates and learner retention factored into the module.

He explained further,

“It really does give them a good understanding of which extinguisher to use in different scenarios and how to point the hose, so it puts out the blaze quickly and effectively.”

New Zealand Researchers Trial AR Fire Safety Module

The news comes just days after the Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University unveiled a new project leveraging augmented reality (AR) to deliver fire safety trainers, revealing massive levels of engagement compared to traditional methods.

Published in the Automation in Construction scientific journal, the experiment used guided instructions to train subjects in how to exit burning buildings, with digital fires integrated into physical environmets and guidance provided by digital assistants — or virtual firefighters.

The trainer involved work from Dr Daniel Paes, Lead Researcher and research team Dr Zhenan Feng, Hesam Shad, Maddy King, Dr DIego Pujoni, Dr Prasanth Sasikumar, and Associate Professor Ruggiero Lovreglio.

According to the University, the team trained a group of subjects using AR and another via conventional videos.

The study noted that AR-trained groups showed “a better performance across key areas including sustained motivation, enhanced confidence in their abilities and better retention of learned information.”

In a statement, Dr Paes explained,

“We found that while knowledge levels were comparable, AR training was more efficient in providing self-efficacy and intrinsic motivation, which are important factors for learning performance. Most interesting were the results observed during follow-up evaluations four weeks post-training, where those who trained with AR retrained the information better. This showed people are more likely to retain knowledge with AR training.”

Increased metrics for the AR group included both a nearly 100 percent boost in motivation after training and maintenance of confidence levels four weeks after training, with non-AR trained groups facing declines.

Dr Paes continued, stating that the goal of the experiment was to “determine the viability of AR as a tool for fire safety training.”

He explained further,

“The results showed AR has merit to be used as a tool in these situations, not just because it’s fun to play with but because they’re learning by doing and retaining important, life-saving information.”

Furthermore, Dr Paes found that augmented reality showed some advantages over virtual reality.

He observed that VR confines trainees to “pre-designed and fully virtual settings,” while AR delivered training by working “into the existing environment” to create a “more realistic and intuitive learning experience.”

Doing so allowed the digital content to enhance learner experiences, “aligning with users’ cognitive processes.”

He stated that his team’s training module was fully bespoke and tailored to fit “any building, making it a mobile training system.”

He concluded that, over 11 years of research into AR and VR, he was motivated to learn “the impact technologies can have on people’s daily lives and how, by improving them, we can make people’s lives safer.”

He concluded: “I wanted to go beyond just improving the technology itself to developing applications that can incorporate an additional layer of information around us.”

Readers can view the full publication here.

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