In policing, Virtual Reality scenario-based training (VR SBT) is being explored to complement real-life scenario-based training (RL SBT). We investigated whether relevant training responses in VR SBT, namely heart rate (HR), level of physical activity, mental effort, and perceived stress, resemble those in RL SBT. Utilizing a within-subject study design, we investigated the training responses of 237 police officers of the Dutch National Police. We found that the maximum HR and average level of physical activity were significantly higher in RL SBT, whereas invested mental effort was significantly higher in VR SBT. No significant differences were found in average HR and perceived stress. We also found that perceived stress in VR was predicted by participants’ VR experiences such as engagement with VR and experience of negative effects, but not by participant characteristics. Participants’ mental effort in VR was predicted by their VR experiences and participant characteristics, particularly gaming frequency. In conclusion, VR SBT can elicit perceived stress, mental effort, and average HR that resemble or exceed responses in RL SBT, providing a promising tool to complement police training.
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Anaesthesiology residents at Leiden University Medical Center regularly undergo simulation training with a full-body manikin. This is a vital aspect of the clinical programme providing a stressful yet safe environment for effective critical resource management (CRM) training. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic made real-life simulations challenging due to organizational and preventive measures. As a result, we explored asynchronous training opportunities utilizing a multiplayer virtual reality (VR) simulation. VR simulations can create personalized scenarios, facilitating differentiated learning through enhanced sensory immersion. VR offers full immersion with a high potential for visual effects, simultaneously allowing changes in patient characteristics such as sex, weight, external trauma and age, which is impossible with regular manikin training. The three-step approach involved (1) identifying user requirements, (2) developing a prototype and (3) assessing the projectandapos;s viability and interest for expansion.
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Virtual training systems provide highly realistic training environments for police. This study assesses whether a pain stimulus can enhance the training responses and sense of the presence of these systems. Police officers (n = 219) were trained either with or without a pain stimulus in a 2D simulator (VirTra V-300) and a 3D virtual reality (VR) system. Two (training simulator) × 2 (pain stimulus) ANOVAs revealed a significant interaction effect for perceived stress (p =.010, ηp2 =.039). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons showed that VR provokes significantly higher levels of perceived stress compared to VirTra when no pain stimulus is used (p =.009). With a pain stimulus, VirTra training provokes significantly higher levels of perceived stress compared to VirTra training without a pain stimulus (p <.001). Sense of presence was unaffected by the pain stimulus in both training systems. Our results indicate that VR training appears sufficiently realistic without adding a pain stimulus. Practitioner summary: Virtual police training benefits from highly realistic training environments. This study found that adding a pain stimulus heightened perceived stress in a 2D simulator, whereas it influenced neither training responses nor sense of presence in a VR system. VR training appears sufficiently realistic without adding a pain stimulus.
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Aaltjes: automatisch classificeren en tellen. Agrariërs laten bodemmonsters analyseren op onder meer aanwezigheid van aaltjes. Deze bodemanalyse is voor agrariërs cruciaal om de bodemgezondheid- en vruchtbaarheid vast te stellen maar behelst een grote kostenpost. Het identificeren, analyseren en tellen van aaltjes (nematoden) in een bodemmonster geschiedt in een gespecialiseerd laboratorium. Dit is tijdrovend, specialistisch en seizoensgebonden werk. Het tellen- en analyseren van aaltjes is mensenwerk en vergt training en ervaring van de laborant. Daarnaast hebben de laboratoria te maken met personeelstekort en de laboranten met sterk fluctuerende werkdruk. Derhalve is het speciaal voor dit project opgerichte samenwerkingsverband tussen Fontys GreenTechLab, ROBA Laboratorium en CytoSMART voornemens om een oplossing te ontwikkelen voor het automatisch classificeren en tellen van aaltjes. Dit project richt zich op de ontwikkeling van een proof of concept van een analysescanner. Het werk van de laboranten wordt grotendeels geautomatiseerd waarbij door de scanner de bodemmonsters middels toepassing van deep learning en virtual modeling kan worden geanalyseerd. Daarmee wordt beoogd een oplossing te bieden waarmee het personeelstekort wordt tegengegaan, de werkdruk kan worden verlaagd, mensenwerk wordt geautomatiseerd (waardoor de kans op fouten wordt verkleind) en de kosten voor agrariërs worden verlaagd.
In het RAAK-mkb project ‘First-time-right’ zijn diverse technieken, waaronder augmented en virtual reality, onderzocht en succesvol toegepast. Een aantal studenten is door de mogelijkheden van virtual reality gegrepen en heeft een Take-off onderzoeksvoorstel geschreven dat gericht is op een technische haalbaarheidsstudie t.b.v. het commercieel aanbieden van virtual reality technieken voor het geven van training. Bij Hogeschool Inholland geloven we sterk in de enorme potentie van augmented reality en willen onze studenten en partners in een vroeg stadium vertrouwd maken met de mogelijkheden die augmented reality biedt bij het optimaliseren van het composietproductieproces. Om dit te ondersteunen is het nodig een demo-opstelling te bouwen waar studenten, docenten, en mkb-partners kennis kunnen maken met augmented reality. Deze demo is cruciaal voor een verdere ontwikkeling van het gebruik van augmented reality in het composietonderwijs en in het mkb.
In the last decade, the automotive industry has seen significant advancements in technology (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles) that presents the opportunity to improve traffic safety, efficiency, and comfort. However, the lack of drivers’ knowledge (such as risks, benefits, capabilities, limitations, and components) and confusion (i.e., multiple systems that have similar but not identical functions with different names) concerning the vehicle technology still prevails and thus, limiting the safety potential. The usual sources (such as the owner’s manual, instructions from a sales representative, online forums, and post-purchase training) do not provide adequate and sustainable knowledge to drivers concerning ADAS. Additionally, existing driving training and examinations focus mainly on unassisted driving and are practically unchanged for 30 years. Therefore, where and how drivers should obtain the necessary skills and knowledge for safely and effectively using ADAS? The proposed KIEM project AMIGO aims to create a training framework for learner drivers by combining classroom, online/virtual, and on-the-road training modules for imparting adequate knowledge and skills (such as risk assessment, handling in safety-critical and take-over transitions, and self-evaluation). AMIGO will also develop an assessment procedure to evaluate the impact of ADAS training on drivers’ skills and knowledge by defining key performance indicators (KPIs) using in-vehicle data, eye-tracking data, and subjective measures. For practical reasons, AMIGO will focus on either lane-keeping assistance (LKA) or adaptive cruise control (ACC) for framework development and testing, depending on the system availability. The insights obtained from this project will serve as a foundation for a subsequent research project, which will expand the AMIGO framework to other ADAS systems (e.g., mandatory ADAS systems in new cars from 2020 onwards) and specific driver target groups, such as the elderly and novice.
