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Issue link: https://coal.epubxp.com/i/421812
"We also work hard with the belief that when faced with an emergency, the right training, and the right SCSR, can help the miner get to safety and not have to wait for a rescue. Thus helps keep both the miners and mine rescuers safe." The Role of Technology Without a doubt, the best way for mine rescuers to polish their craft is through training. For many, that means classroom education, physically and mentally demanding practice sessions and compe- titions throughout the year. However, his- torically, other venues like a football field-like outdoor space or rehabilitated warehouse facility have had to suffice to give rescuers their needed experience; the lucky ones will have access to a handful of rehabbed mine sites for training. Today's mine rescue training is perhaps the most rapidly advancing scene in all of coal mining. A generation of men and women — one of the first to have exposure to advanced digital technology nearly all of their lives — are entering mining en masse with technological talent banked in their minds that is looking for an outlet. That has created a perfect tie with the ever-evolving area of virtual reality (VR). Generally, an industry that has bucked technological change in the past is now embracing it full-force — and the younger mining set is leading that charge. Look no further for the success of VR than in today's specialized training programs and extensive research in the area of emergen- cy preparedness and escape. Immersive Technologies Takes on Tech Immersive technologies has one of the most extensive VR-based product lines, from surface to underground and even process plant solutions. Users can become familiar with a specific location before ever setting foot on the property, or hone evacuation and emergency skills long before they are ever needed. IT's world-first RealMove system allows operators to freely walk around a site and equipment for realistic familiarization, and its RealView technology allows trainees to see their view updated based on their head and body position and per- mits a user to peer around visual obstruc- tions, providing the ultimate in training immersion and realism. Specifically, RealMove technology allows operators to freely walk around the mine and equipment, allowing for realistic train- ing for "red zone" avoidance, proximity sen- sor training, prestart and walk around. When coupled with Immersive Tech- nologies' removable motion platform, the IM360 offers high frequency motion cues for seated machines, aligning operator movement with display upon the uninter- rupted high-definition 360° display. "Original equipment manufacturers, MSHA guidelines, and industry best prac- tice are tightly integrated within the Advanced Equipment Simulators," Senior Product Manager Greg Karadjian said. "This attention to detail, flexibility, and fidelity gives trainees more in-depth machine knowledge and delivers rapid, correct and effective learning and assessment for your operation's needs." The company has been marketing its solutions as independent products since 2013, and its highlight customizable train- ing program options include general evacu- ations, escapes where the primary escape way is blocked or where both primary and secondary paths are obstructed, scenarios for workers seeking refuse chambers. "When we looked at the underground coal mining sector, we realized that there was very little done to address industry problems and provide solutions for training and assessment for mine evacuations, emergencies [and] site familiarization," Karadjian said. "Our focus was to help solve these types of challenges and deliver real results, not just introducing new technology that would go unused or unsupported. With a growing number of simulation-based training products available on the market, savvy miners are increasingly assessing the credentials of these tools for real value." As a result, Immersive Technologies' advanced equipment simulators are the only fully supported solution of their kind in the mining industry. The company also stressed that its service agreements include scheduled system upgrades, so the latest in technology and methodology is always available for a realistic learning experience. "The development of these upgrades is driven by evolving mining industry needs, using input provided by customers and equipment manufacturers. This ensures that our customers are able to continually achieve quantifiable improvement in their mining operations." Some of the company's underground equipment solutions include continuous miners, longwalls, roof bolters and shuttle cars. Of course, the more users know about each, the more safely they can work overall, hopefully negating an equipment-related emergency situation. As IT's Karadjian noted, the focus has shifted in the current coal climate to "pro- duction, production, production" but the skills being polished in VR training are still in the front of the mind. "Our cutting behavior is so realistic that, for example, the miner will crawl up the toe before digging in," he said, adding that those signals are key to operators fine-tuning their cut sequences for opti- mal production. "There is a lot of emphasis on rescue teams, and that is essential for responding to an emergency that has already occurred," Karadjian said. "The largest benefits we see from our RealMove technology is that for the first time, they can practice evacuation training and emergency response, and be assessed objectively and independently. It is an industry first." Additionally, Immersive said that, with regard to its IM360 platform specifically, it significantly shifts the entry price for evacu- ation-based VR training downward. That's not to say there haven't been obstacles in getting virtual reality technolo- gy, cost being just one. "There have been two major hurdles to getting this technology in the field, and nei- ther are market interest; firstly, it is no secret that coal mining internationally is depressed — so despite a high level of inter- m i n e r e s c u e c o n t i n u e d 40 www.coalage.com November 2014 The CSE G4 portable multigas gas detector measures levels of one to four gasses.