Immersive Technologies furthers its commitment to the mining industry with the development of simulators (Conversion Kit®) for Underground Coal Mining. Simulators include Continuous Miners, Shuttle Cars, Roof Bolters, Longwalls and Miner Bolters. These products feature a previously unseen degree of simulation realism and Immersive Technologies’ ingenious new RealMove™ natural movement system. Bolstered with a demonstrated capability to deliver quantified improvements in cost savings, productivity and safety; Immersive Technologies offers a degree of training effectiveness not previously available to Underground Coal Mining operations.

“Until now, there has been no training solution on the market which fully addresses the unique training requirements for underground coal equipment operators. These new products highlight our ongoing approach to invest in driving customer safety and profitability though our industry leading technology and extensive mining experience,” says Richard Beesley, Underground Coal Business Unit Manager.

The simulators provide an authentic and comprehensive recreation of an underground coal mining work environment and support the following models with plans to continually develop new machines:

• JOY 14CM15 Continuous Miner with wireless TX2 or TX3 remote
• JOY 10SC32 Shuttle Car
• Fletcher CHDDR Roof Bolter
• Caterpillar EL3000 Longwall
• JOY 12CM30 Miner Bolter

Immersive Technologies has firmly extended its Complete and Scalable Solution for operator workforce development into the Underground Coal Mining industry.

Beesley, an experienced roof bolter operator says, “The expanded product line is the result of intense research and development drawing from Original Equipment Manufacturers, industry best practices, subject matter experts and safety requirements specific to the underground coal mining industry.”

The innovation continues with the development of the world’s first RealMove™ natural movement system, through this technology the operator can naturally walk around the 3D virtual environment to avoid hazards or to perform a full walk around of the machine. This is a key feature for remote machine operators where awareness of ones surroundings can be the difference between life and death.

“The ability to train operators to react correctly during potentially life threatening situations is invaluable in underground mining. Many dangerous situations rarely take place so training operators to understand proper protocol in a safe environment is essential for underground operations,” Beesley says.

The new machines operate on the CM360 Advanced Equipment Simulator. This platform was built upon the proven design and configuration of the Immersive Technologies UG360 Advanced Equipment Simulator. The CM360 utilizes the full 360 degree visual experience recognizing the distinct operating conditions of the underground mining environment. It features an entirely removable motion platform to permit both seated and remote operated simulation from within the one platform.

Particular care and attention to detail has been put into the visuals for these machines, setting new standards in 3D graphical machine models for mining simulations.

RealMove™ along with the unparalleled degree of simulation realism allows operators to train at a level of detail the underground mining industry hasn’t seen before. Small details are critical to proper operations and we are excited to unveil these advancements in underground coal mining training.

The company will embark on a roadshow in popular coal mining regions during February this year to showcase the new developments delivering safety and productivity.