Virtual reality training environment a proposed architecture

Operator training systems are essential tools for industrial systems, particularly for those where human error impacts on the safety of materials and personnel may cause significant financial losses. This work is part of a research project concerned with the study of operator behaviour when facing safety-critical situations. This paper focuses on the simulator architecture of an operator training system that is based on formal models, interconnected to form its simulation engine. It also discusses how the simulator engine communicates with the virtual world representation. The models were built using the Coloured Petri Nets (CPN) formalism. The simulator requirements include: a multi-platform collaborative and multi-user environment that allow for remote access; built with freeware software tools. The simulator built according to the architecture described on this paper, has been validated by a team of operators from the industrial context of application, i.e. electric systems.