Presence and Skill Acquisition through Virtual Environments

This Mitacs Internship with Virtual Marine Technology in partnership with Chalmers University and Memorial University will focus on improving the safety of crew who work at marine and offshore environments. The intern will work with researchers at Chalmers University to identify safety and risks concerns relating to operations in marine vessels (Le. preliminary engine room design or evacuation training) and will work with Virtual Marine Technology to define the technical requirements for using virtual environment training to address these concerns. Working with Virtual Marine Technology and Chalmers University, the intern will research factors influencing the user's training performance using virtual environments and identify design aides and training tools. This will involve researching ways to improve a user's sense of immersion and learning when training with virtual environments. Based on this assessment, a methodology to evaluate virtual environment training will be developed along with realistic virtual environment scenarios relevant to marine operation and safety.

This research project was undertaken and completed with a grant from and the financial assistance of Petroleum Research Newfoundland & Labrador.

Faculty Supervisor:

Drs. Brian Veitch & Scott MacKinnon

Student:

Jennifer Smith

Partner:

Virtual Marine Technology Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Automotive and transportation

University: