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ngineers are always quick to spot the potential for adapting an existing technology for a different purpose. Today, a good
example is the way in which video gaming is moving out of the living room and into the health, safety and environment (HSE)
office. The technology is rapidly transforming capabilities in the design and safe operation of complex, hazardous engineering
assets.
You do not need to be an engineer to see the potential for practical applications of immersive, multi-player simulation game technology.
Players act either alone or in teams, interactingwith each other and the 3D environment to performoften complex scenarios. The real world,
with phenomena such as gravity, inertia, friction, fire, water flow, etc., can be convincingly simulated using sophisticated physics engines and
high definition visual rendering. The logical development, therefore, is to use the underlying technology to create realistic simulations of real
facilities that can be used for safe and highly effective operator and crew training.
Capital engineering industries are increasingly adopting this technology, thanks to the engineering software industry, which has combined
gaming technologies with engineering design and high performance plant visualisation technologies to create a platform for immersive
training and simulation applications. A leading example is AVEVA Activity Visualisation Platform™ (AVEVA AVP™).
David Thomson, AVEVA, UK,
looks at how multi-player
gaming technology
can transform safety
and efficiency in the
management of
complex engineering
assets.
