Virtual Reality Training 2021: The Year of Mobile

Where is VR training headed in 2021?

One word: mobile.

Here are our predictions for VR training next year.

Standalone headsets will become the norm for future VR training deployments
Oculus Quest 2 (see our video review), Vive Focus Plus, and Pico Neo 2 all come with enough graphical processing power to effectively simulate realistic environments and equipment.

In terms of cost, standalone or all-in-one headsets are typically less than $1,000 each (including a commercial use license).

With standalone headsets, remote and on-demand VR training become not just a possibility, but a probability.

With mobile VR joining the remote and on-demand trends, it will reduce the need for capital-intensive training rooms, SMEs and equipment.

VR training will become a full-fledged element of the standard curriculum.

When we look back at 2021, we’ll remember it as the year VR training took off.

Contact

Name: Alejandro Echeverry

Email Address: alejandro.echeverry@foundry45.com

Website URL: https://foundry45.com

VR Training for Hard Skills: When There’s Only One Right Way to Do Things

When there’s only one right way to do things: that’s our motto, and that’s where we believe virtual reality training is best employed – teaching hard skills that must be applied consistently and accurately for an organization to succeed.

Why do we believe that’s the case?

There are several reasons, but one in particular stands out: Improvements in hard skills are easily measurable, both during and after training, when learning really counts. That proves training effectiveness and gives companies (and their learning and development professionals) a real ROI for their training spends – and a real reason to continue training.

Hard skills are related to technical knowledge and training, while soft skills include traits such as leadership ability, communication and time management. While soft skills can be taught through scenarios, for example, VR is never going to be as close to the real thing. As with training for hard skills, VR can offer a safe place to practice soft skills.

Making the Right Choice

If you’re interested in adding VR training to your playbook and your budget means you have to choose where to apply it (and whose budget doesn’t?), then use it for hard skills training first.

Contact

Name: Alejandro Echeverry

Email Address: alejandro.echeverry@foundry45.com

Website URL: https://foundry45.com/vr-training-for-hard-skills-when-theres-only-one-right-way-to-do-things/

Foundry 45 Develops New Virtual Reality Operator Training for Light Rail Network TriMet

ATLANTA – If you’re providing nearly 100 million trips for commuters each year, you want to make sure they’re smooth, safe and problem-free – which means operator training is critical. That’s why TriMet, which provides transit services in the Portland, Oregon, metro area, chose Atlanta’s Foundry 45 to develop virtual reality (VR) training modules that offer all the advantages of real-world experience with increased flexibility and added safety.

TriMet provides light rail vehicle (LRV) operator trainees with classroom plus hands-on training in its rail yard and on its main lines. However, training on the routes themselves needs to be done in a relatively short window of time. And with safety paramount, simulating problems during hands-on training can be difficult. VR training greatly expands the timing and type of training TriMet can provide its operators; trainees are able to learn how to operate LRVs and navigate routes at their own pace and in a safe, simulated environment.

“Virtual reality offers TriMet convenient and highly effective training that also eliminates things like possible equipment damage, vehicle downtime and any safety risks associated with training in a real-world environment,” said Dave Beck, managing partner of Foundry 45, which creates immersive VR training for businesses across the country. “It’s a perfect solution for TriMet’s training needs, and we were delighted to partner with such a forward-thinking organization to create it.”

TriMet piloted the VR training in late October, and feedback from the students who tested it has been very positive. It will officially become part of TriMet’s rail training educational program at the start of 2021.

“VR training offers the benefit of being able to put a student in a situation that would not be safe in real life, like a pedestrian walking across the tracks or an emergency vehicle traveling through an intersection,” TriMet’s Manager of Operations Training Todd Mattson said. “As we develop more virtual reality scenarios based on what our operators actually encounter, it will help keep our light rail system even safer for the communities we serve.”

Realistic VR environments help students learn routes and troubleshoot potential problems

The MAX (Metropolitan Area Express) Light Rail connects Portland City Center with Beaverton, Clackamas, Gresham, Hillsboro, Milwaukie, North/Northeast Portland and Portland International Airport. The VR training is divided into five sections that cover segments of real-life routes.

For those segments, Foundry 45 created simulated environments that include LRV train models, stations, tracks, pedestrians, bicyclists and other road traffic along those routes. Landmarks and equipment have been faithfully recreated in 3D to a level of detail that will help operators quickly recognize them as the objects they’ll see in the real world.

Training, which is conducted via computer and headset, includes simulated activities and situations that operators can encounter, such as obstructed views and gate malfunctions. It also incorporates realistic train and environmental noise, as sound is a key element to creating a convincing immersive environment. A sixth training scenario covers troubleshooting such items as equipment faults and external system failures.

The training allows learners to make mistakes and receive coaching to correct errors. Trainees learn a segment with step-by-step guidance, practice from memory with no guidance, and then take a test, which generates performance data for analysis and tracking by TriMet.

About Foundry 45
Foundry 45 uses leading-edge technologies to create better process training outcomes for enterprise clients. We are a team of strategists, technologists, engineers, creatives, computer programmers and project managers driven to create powerful, immersive virtual reality experiences. By leveraging new, interactive content, we help organizations break the monotony of their current business training routines while providing safer, more efficient and engaging employee training solutions. We’ve delivered hundreds of VR experiences for clients across the country and around the globe, including a number of Fortune 100 companies. Our rewarding team environment won us a Timmy Award for the Best Tech Work Culture in Atlanta in 2020. Visit Foundry 45 for more information.

About TriMet
TriMet provides bus, light rail and commuter rail transit services in the Portland, Oregon metro area. We connect people with their community, while easing traffic congestion and reducing air pollution — making the Portland area a better place to live.

Website URL: https://foundry45.com/vr-training/

Contact:

Name: Alejandro Echeverry

Email Address: alejandro.echeverry@foundry45.com

Foundry 45 voted Best Tech Work Culture in Atlanta

Tech in Motion unveils regional winners continuing to new national competition

ATLANTA (October 23, 2020) – Foundry 45, which creates immersive virtual reality training for businesses worldwide, has received Best Tech Work Culture in Atlanta honors for its rewarding team environment, Tech in Motion recently announced. The company will join 10 other regional winners to compete for the national Timmy Award, to be announced at the virtual Timmy Awards Ceremony Oct. 29.

Foundry 45 has developed a family-friendly work environment that includes a positive company culture and support for professional and personal development for its diverse workforce. The company offers flexible hours, a casual dress code and team-building events (remote during COVID-19). About 5 percent of the team’s total hours are focused on giving back to non-profit organizations that promote education and empower today’s youth through technology. The company recently introduced matching donations of up to $100 per full-time employee, per year for the charity of their choice, and also offers paid time off so team members can vote.

“In 2014, we set out to make great immersive experiences, but we knew back then that we had to first create a place that was designed to foster that greatness,” said Dave Beck, Foundry 45 Co-Founder and Managing Partner. “Our wish was to build a company where incredibly talented individuals are empowered to put their best foot forward. The Timmy Award shows that we’ve been successful, and we’re delighted to receive this honor.”

Thousands of tech community members vote in the Timmy Awards competition. The panel of judges deciding the winners for this year’s national Best Tech Work Culture award include Bruce Wang, Director of Engineering at Netflix, Abdul Munda, Head of Engineering at Slack, Harry Hurst, CEO of Pipe, and Nirmal Srinivasan, Software Engineering Director at Paypal.

“More than ever, it’s important to recognize the strong cultures companies have established where they continue to make it about far more than perks, especially in light of this year’s challenges,” says Mandy Walker, Director of Marketing at Tech in Motion. “The Timmy Awards allow the community to highlight the companies building a team worth joining and a culture worth working for.”

This year, Tech in Motion will host the award ceremony as an entirely digital experience, announcing national winners via video to finalists, regional winners and the North American tech community.

About Tech in Motion Events

Tech in Motion is an international events series that brings local tech community professionals together to connect, learn, and innovate. What started as a collaborative project in 2011 by the IT recruiting organization Motion Recruitment grew into an organization of over 250,000 members across 14 chapters in North America including Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Silicon Valley, LA, Orange County and Toronto. Please visit techinmotionevents.com for more information about notable speakers, sponsors and events.

About Foundry 45

Foundry 45 uses leading-edge technologies to create better process training outcomes for enterprise clients. We are a team of strategists, technologists, engineers, creatives, computer programmers and project managers driven to create powerful, immersive virtual reality experiences. By leveraging new, interactive content, we help organizations break the monotony of their current business training routines while providing safer, more efficient and engaging employee training solutions. We’ve delivered hundreds of VR experiences for clients across the country and around the globe, including a number of Fortune 100 companies. Visit Foundry 45 for more information.

Contact

Name: Alejandro Echeverry

Email Address: alejandro.echeverry@foundry45.com

Website URL: https://foundry45.com/