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Virtual reality training in industry

How can training in maintenance be improved? One solution might lie in training using virtual reality whereby training content is brought closer to the trainee. Another (complementary) solution might lie in measuring training performance online during the training process itself. Combined these two solutions offer exciting opportunities for training in maintenance. There has been a pressing need from the industry to not only gain insight in the condition of the functioning of machinery, but also in the condition of the functioning of personnel. The role Tilburg University has had in the CAMPIONE project is to investigate training of personnel using virtual reality thereby predicting learning gains. We have investigated what the effects of virtual and mixed reality and other forms of training are on performance, how individual differences influence these effects, and how learning in training be measured not after the training, but during training itself using sensing technologies.

Scientific impact

On the Tilburg University side, the CAMPIONE project has yielded over 10 publications in peer-reviewed scientific outlets. The scientific findings have demonstrated that immersive environments (VR and CAVE) yield significantly higher learning gains than alternative measures of training, such as learning from textbooks. In addition, technological recommendations have been made on how VR and CAVE systems can best be used for training purposes while maintaining learning gains. Moreover, studies have investigated which neurophysiological measures best predict learning online, and how these neurophysiological responses differ as a function of individual differences across participants. The CAMPIONE project thereby pushes forward the frontiers of Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive science, Psychology, and Human-Technology Interaction, and Virtual Reality in the area of training.

Societal impact

For the CAMPIONE project different Field Labs have been identified, in combination with several Living Labs at partnering industrial partners. Fieldlabs are located on four locations: the Aerospace en Maintenance Campus in Gilze-Rijen (maintenance, petrochemical industry), Tilburg University (human behavior) and two Living Labs at Sitech Services and FujiFilm. At Tilburg University our Field Lab, the DAF Technology Lab, features a high-tech virtual reality lab that investigates human behavior in virtual and mixed reality by using a 360 degrees CAVE (Cave Automatic Virtual Environment) providing an immersive virtual reality environment to its users. The immersive VR experience the DAF Technology Lab provides has had a major impact on the way industry has viewed training, so much so that various corporate partners have now teamed up to investigate the VR impact on training further in areas such as maintenance, logistics, and aerospace.

Publications

de Back, T. T., Tinga, A. M., Nguyen, P., & Louwerse, M. M. (2020). Benefits of immersive collaborative learning in CAVE-based virtual reality. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education.

de Back, T. T., Tinga, A. M., van Hoef, R., Peters, E. M., & Louwerse, M. M. (2018). Applicability and benefits of virtual reality for the cognitive sciences.In C. Kalish, M. A. Rau, X. Zhu, & T. T. Rogers (eds.), Proceedings of the 40th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 293-298). Madison, WI, USA: Cognitive Science Society.

de Back, T. T., van Hoef, R., Tinga, A. M., & Louwerse, M. M. (2018). Presence is key: unlocking performance benefits of immersive virtual reality. In C. Kalish, M. A. Rau, X. Zhu, & T. T. Rogers (eds.), Proceedings of the 40th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 1602-1607). Madison, WI, USA: Cognitive Science Society.

Tinga, A. M., de Back, T. T., & Louwerse, M. M. (2019). Non-invasive neurophysiological measures of learning: A meta-analysis. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 99, 59-89.

Tinga, A. M., de Back, T. T., & Louwerse, M. M. (2020). Neurophysiological changes in visuomotor sequence learning provide insight in general learning processes: Measures of brain activity, skin conductance, heart rate and respiration. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 151, 40-48. doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.02.015

Tinga, A. M., de Back, T. T., & Louwerse, M. M. (2020). Non-invasive neurophysiology in learning and training: Mechanisms and a SWOT analysis. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14, 589. doi:10.3389/fnins.2020.00589.

Tinga, A. M., Kuperus, W., Brandao Carvalho, M., Louwerse, M. M. (2019). Explanation versus prediction: Statistical differences in detecting fraudulent events do not necessarily have predictive power. In A. K. Goel, C. M. Seifert, & C. Freska (Eds.), Proceedings of the 41th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 2975-2980). Montreal, Canada: Cognitive Science Society.

Tinga, A. M., Kuperus, W., Brandao Carvalho, M., Louwerse, M. M. (2019). Explanation versus prediction: Statistical differences in detecting fraudulent events do not necessarily have predictive power. In A. K. Goel, C. M. Seifert, & C. Freska (eds.), Proceedings of the 41th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 2975-2980). Montreal, Canada: Cognitive Science Society.

Tinga, A. M., Nykliček, I., Jansen, M. P., de Back, T. T., & Louwerse, M. M. (2019). Respiratory biofeedback does not facilitate lowering arousal in meditation through virtual reality. Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, 44(1), 51-59.

Tinga, A.M., Clim, M., de Back, T.T., & Louwerse, M.M. (2021). Measures of prefrontal functional near-infrared spectroscopy in visuomotor learning. Experimental Brain Research.

Tjon, D., Tinga, A. M., Alimardani, M., & Louwerse, M. M. (2019). Brain activity reflects sense of presence in virtual reality. In A. Siarheyeva, C. Barry, M. Lang, H. Linger, & C. Schneider (eds.), Information Systems Development: Information Systems Beyond 2020 (ISD2019 Proceedings) (p.1-9). Toulon, France: ISEN Yncréa Méditerranée.

Press coverage (selection)

http://magazine.ingendaeldiscours.nl/ingendael-discours-2018/big-data-excursie/

https://www.bemas.org/nl/nieuws/nederlands-minister-henk-kamp-opent-officieel-fieldlab-campione

https://www.sitech.nl/IManager/MediaLink/925/79019/18487/1980273/

https://www.vsnu.nl/valorisatie-in-beeld/tilburg-university.html

https://www.midpointbrabant.nl/vijf-jaar-fieldlab-campione-brengt-slim-onderhoud-binnen-handbereik/

https://www.worldclassmaintenance.com/project/fieldlab-campione/