Simulation Training in Oil Platforms

Training people for working in an oil platform involves teaching operators to locate hundreds of devices in a hazardous environment and to correctly operate them. One small mistake can seriously hurt or kill somebody and compromise the integrity of the plant. On the other hand, access to real platforms is restricted and trainees need to relay on photos and diagrams in order to learn, which does not provide a realistic environment to completely allow them to understand their job. Realistic simulated training using Virtual Reality in areas such as aviation has shown that workers can better understand the physical environment and tasks they have to accomplish, assuring a better understanding of the target system. This paper presents techniques used for a simulation system for an oil platform operation. Several interaction techniques were adapted and implemented to achieve a realistic operation scenario.