Bridging the Gap between Corporate Training and Operations in the Oil & Gas Industry with Augmented Reality and Interactive 3D Simulations

Oliver Diaz, FuelFX CEO and founder, discusses AR technology at the 2014 Augmented World Expo HOUSTON (May 2014): Daily operations within the Oil and Gas industry present many challenges, and the need for successful training isn’t just a matter of doing the job correctly—it can mean the difference between life, death and billions of dollars in environmental disasters. “Industry standards are evolving, and C-level executives are turning to immersive and advanced training solutions to teach the complex processes and procedures used aboard drilling rigs, refineries and across production platforms,” says FuelFX CEO Oliver Diaz. By leveraging the latest virtual reality peripherals, motion capture technology and advanced third-person gaming platforms, we can place trainees in a lifelike simulation, carefully recreating the circumstances along with the tasks they will be asked to execute onsite. With 3D-enhanced graphics, companies have created video game simulations in which users directly engage in a digitally replicated working environment. Now the same assets developed to train employees can be used to help them understand their environment and feed them live digital readouts and instructions on what to do next and how to do it right. Finally, automated procedure management systems can monitor and verify tasks to ensure that they were done, and done correctly. With the help of a smart device and a proprietary application, specific tags can be used in a refinery that displays animations when viewed through a smart device. The animation may inform the user how to correctly navigate the refinery to safety, or how to take the necessary steps to control a hazardous situation. Real-world checkpoints can be outfitted with important working lessons that take users out of the traditional classroom and turn every checkpoint into an engaging, practical training application. “Training is no longer limited to the classroom,” says Diaz. “With augmented reality technology leveraging peripherals like Google glass, object recognition, and procedure management systems, we can bridge the gap between training and operations.” Oliver Diaz, FuelFX CEO and founder brings a unique insight into oil and gas business culture and how to effectively communicate in and out of it. He and his team at FuelFX are a unique mix of creative content providers and technologists. They employ state-of-the-art 3D communications technology, like augmented reality, virtual reality, digital laboratory simulators, parallax web development, and 3D animations for clients like Exxon, Dell and BP for improved training, business intelligence and agility....