VR Application for Learning the Construction and Operation of MV Switchgears - VES Project

Virtual 3D tools provide significant support for learning and the teaching process. The implementation and development of communication and information technologies in our society, as well as in the scientific and teaching environment, is now a reality. The main goal of this article is to present an application made in VR technology for learning the construction and maneuvering of MV switchboards. The application was created as a result of cooperation with PRADMA from Olsztyn during the implementation of the Virtual Electrical Switchgear (VES) project. Thanks to VR models, it is possible to simulate many different scenarios in controlled conditions, as well as to create advanced training applications enabling the development of correct habits without exposing trainees to risk. The application consists of a tutorial and 3 levels of training and functional VR simulations and was launched for students of the first and third year of first-cycle studies in electrical engineering at the Warsaw University of Technology. The developed program was designed to effectively introduce the application user to the basic information about moving the virtual avatar, interacting with the prepared elements, and to provide information on the construction of the MV switchgear and its components. Preliminary tests of the application’s suitability will be shown during testing in the Laboratory of Electrical Apparatus and Switching Processes.