Industrial IMMERSIVE Week

ForgeFX is excited to announce that we'll be exhibiting at Industrial IMMERSIVE Week, taking place from March 5-7, 2024, in Houston, Texas. This event stands as a pivotal gathering for professionals across the Industrial, Energy, and Engineering sectors, offering a unique platform for insights, networking, and exploration of the latest technological advancements shaping our industries.

Industrial IMMERSIVE Week, March 5-7 Houston, Texas

During the event, ForgeFX, in collaboration with Meta at booth 34, will be demonstrating an immersive training simulator running on the Meta Quest platform. Attendees will have the opportunity to experience firsthand our leading-edge industrial training simulator powered by Meta technology. This demonstration highlights our dedication to advancing training methods through immersive learning experiences, showcasing how virtual technology can revolutionize skills development and operational efficiency.

We are excited to be part of a space where the industrial metaverse comes to life and to share how immersive technology can be a game-changer for training within our sectors. For those attending the Industrial IMMERSIVE Week, we look forward to your visit at Booth Number 34 to discover the potential of immersive training solutions together.

Future Forward: How Virtual & Mixed Reality Are Changing the Face of Training for the Trades, Healthcare, & Sports

 

While it’s still early days for the metaverse, technologies like virtual and mixed reality are already unlocking new possibilities to improve skills acquisition and training. From people looking to master a new trade to surgeons striving to reach the top of their game to injured athletes maintaining their skills and confidence on the road to recovery, immersive technologies have been helping people reach new heights and push the limits for years. Today, we’re spotlighting various ways people are tapping into the potential of VR and MR in their everyday lives.

For Shanna Ford, who grew up in a blue-collar household, the promise of a steady income offered by a career in the trades was ever present. And with her own artistic bent, she leaned toward welding.

“With welding, you can do anything,” she says. “I liked that it didn’t feel like it locked me in anywhere—if I wanted to go and do iron work and build huge structures, I could do that. And if I wanted to go to an auto shop, I could do that. Even Disneyland has their own welders. I could do art on the side or make furniture work for myself, make gates, these beautiful structures and creative sculptures. I could do anything.”

Of course, as with any trade, hours upon hours of practice are required to achieve a state of mastery—and it’s in that development of muscle memory where VR truly shines. 

“Everything used to be hands-on—everything was in the classroom,” 

Explains Alex Declair, who works for RSI—a StrataTech Education Group school, which tapped ForgeFX Simulations to develop a VR application based on their training and curriculum. 

“It was very traditional. And as soon as COVID hit, we were in a scramble, doing our best to take care of our students and get them to learn what they needed. But you can’t just send a welding machine home with a student to weld, you know. You have to have a lot of electricity, a lot of materials, consumables, and it just wasn't feasible. So our CEO Mary Kelly jumped on VR right away. We can give a Meta Quest headset to every one of our students, and they can take it home and learn how to weld.”

 

Read More: Meta Quest Blog: Future Forward: How Virtual & Mixed Reality Are Changing the Face of Training for the Trades, Healthcare, & Sports

https://www.meta.com/en-gb/blog/quest/metaverse-technologies-vr-mr-welding-trades-cataracts-surgery-sports-injury-physical-therapy

Laser Screed® Machine Training Simulator

ForgeFX Simulations is honored to be a simulator developer for Somero Enterprises, Inc., a company that specializes in the development, manufacturing, and distribution of concrete leveling equipment and technology for the construction industry. Their product range includes laser-guided and technologically advanced machinery designed to significantly improve the efficiency, precision, and quality of concrete flooring and surface finishing. ForgeFX Simulations works with Somero® to build a laser screed machine training simulator that empowers operators to conduct safe and cost-effective virtual training. A Laser Screed® machine is a specialized piece of equipment used in the construction industry for leveling large areas of concrete with high precision, that employs laser technology as a reference to control the position of the leveling head accurately during the concrete pouring process.

Somero Enterprises Laser Screed® Meta Quest Simulator by ForgeFX Simulations

Somero is passionate about the success of their customers, which is why they have created the Somero Concrete Institute, a comprehensive training facility dedicated to providing education on Somero’s products and offering unparalleled education and support. The S-22 EZ Laser Screed Training Simulator, developed by ForgeFX Simulations, will be the latest training experience to be offered by Somero, as they strive to deliver unparalleled learning opportunities through a mix of theoretical knowledge and practical, hands-on training.

S-22EZ Advanced Laser Screed® Machine Simulator

ForgeFX Simulations works closely with Somero subject matter experts to develop their S-22EZ Advanced Laser Screed® Machine Simulator training program. This highly realistic, interactive, and engaging training simulation application significantly enhances the learning of operators by immersing them in a fully virtual environment that contains a detailed and accurate digital 3D replica of the S-22 Laser Screed® Machine. Taking advantage of Meta’s Quest mixed reality hardware, the simulator delivers users simulated physical controls, buttons, and feedback mechanisms that afford the ability to rapidly become familiar with the machine, learn and master the controls and maintenance techniques, and comprehend the fundamentals of using the equipment properly and effectively. Utilizing Meta Quest’s superior hand-tracking capabilities provides for a more fully immersive experience, where users have a greater sense of presence and agency.

Learn more: https://forgefx.com/simulation-projects/laser-screed-machine-training-simulator/