PARTNERS
- Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
- Regions and water management
- FAST Traunkirchen
- Austrian Institute of Technology
ABSTRACT
The FWSafeXR Project harnesses the power of Extended Reality (XR) to deliver realistic, hands-on training for safety and emergency scenarios in the forestry sector. By combining experiential learning with gamification, the project sharpens safety awareness and strengthens practical skills. A user-centred design approach ensures that XR technologies are effectively integrated into day-to-day training routines. The overarching aim is to revolutionise forestry safety training through immersive, interactive simulations.
CHALLENGE
Traditional safety training in forestry often lacks practical relevance and can be risky in real-life settings. Teaching critical safety protocols using conventional methods is challenging and frequently fails to engage learners effectively.
SOLUTION
FWSafeXR offers an immersive XR platform that simulates safety-critical and emergency situations specific to forestry. With a gamified approach, learners can engage in realistic practice scenarios, while an agile development process ensured continuous optimisation based on user feedback. The platform consists of four distinct training modules designed to improve safety-related competencies.
RESEARCH
Participants who trained using VR achieved significantly better results when preparing for tree-felling operations. They scored higher and perceived the task as less stressful than those in the control group. While completion times were similar between the groups, the overall superior performance of the VR group highlights the effectiveness of immersive training. These results show that VR not only enhances performance but also makes the training experience more efficient and less burdensome.
Further evidence of VR’s effectiveness emerged in the helicopter rescue scenario. Participants who completed the standard VR training significantly outperformed those in the control group, and even those who trained with an “impaired” version of the VR module still performed better. Additionally, score variability was lower within the VR group, suggesting more consistent outcomes. Although perceived workload showed no significant difference between the groups, descriptive data indicates that the standard VR group found the task to be the least taxing. These findings underline that high-quality VR training is not only more effective but also more efficient – even under challenging conditions.
