An approach for capturing project information for the development of virtual reality training scenarios

The new Advanced Construction Technologies (ACT-UK) centre in Coventry uses state of the art, innovative, virtual reality training in a simulated environment to train students and employees from the construction industry. However, before the training facility could become operational, it was necessary to collect as much information as possible from a specified construction project to help create scenarios to be used in the virtual reality training. Therefore, the approach used to capture the project information needed to be appropriate. It was the ‘project monitors’ role to obtain the necessary information by monitoring a construction project on a weekly basis. Data was collated in the form of photographs of the building during its construction and documentation from the site office was also collected so that trainees within the training centre could use it. In addition, the project-monitoring provided written descriptions of the activities that occurred during the construction of the building. The production of these activity sheets, which were used to help produce the virtual reality training scenarios, is outlined along with the data collection methodology. The success of the methodology undertaken is reviewed so that if the approach was to be replicated, for new virtual reality construction training scenarios, then the issues that the ‘project monitor’ encountered could be minimised.