New laboratory takes students to top of the virtual world

Fife’s engineers of the future have a new tool to help them reach new heights.

A world-leading Immersive Hybrid Reality (iHR) laboratory has been unveiled at the Fife College campus in Rosyth to help train offshore wind turbine engineers.

The unique hybrid element combines the real and virtual worlds, allowing users to see their own hands and feet, real tools or manuals, while seemingly at the top of the turbine, more than 110 metres above the waves.

Combined with the sounds of the wind and changing weather conditions, it provides one of the most realistic training environments anywhere in the world.

The system has been created to allow students to conduct detailed fault-finding inspections of the top of a virtual seven megawatt offshore wind turbine, based on the demonstration turbine at Methil.

Shirley-Anne Somerville, minister for further education, higher education and science, said: “The Scottish Government is keen to support and celebrate the development of this immersive hybrid reality lab as it represents a tremendous opportunity to develop the skills and jobs required by the growing offshore renewables industry in Scotland.

“The lab promotes learning through exciting new technology ensuring that students are able to experience work activities within realistic site conditions, and as result learn without facing real health and safety risks.

“It is important that we continue to develop a workforce that is properly skilled and one that is familiar with new technologies and innovative practices that lead the way.”

Shirley-Anne Somerville tries out the device with engineering student Jamie-Lee Tucker.