Locomotive Piston Repair & Maintenance

Addressing Real-World Training Challenges

Operations and learning leaders for the locomotive manufacturing division of this global industrial conglomerate recognized the current and long-term challenges they faced with consistently training and certifying qualified technicians on the maintenance and repair services required for their propulsion systems, particularly concerning the complex piston units.

Some of the key factors that contributed to the organization’s training challenges included:

• The increasingly limited number of qualified training instructors due to retirement
• The expense of bringing technicians to training centers from remote locations
• The substantial cost and logistical realities of having 20-foot tall pistons available for hands-on training

To address these challenges, Mosaic worked closely with client leaders and subject-matter experts to design a highly immersive virtual reality training simulation that replicated a typical maintenance facility.

Virtual Collaboration & Instruction Across the Globe

Utilizing the latest advances in multiplayer gaming, virtual reality, and VOIP communication technologies, Mosaic developed a virtual environment and training simulation where individuals and teams of locomotive technicians from any global location are directed and monitored by a live instructor.

Using customized VR headsets with integrated communications and motion sensors to track hand movements without the need for cumbersome wands, technicians can intuitively move throughout the virtual environment, interact with the instructor and other technicians, and execute the required maintenance procedures.

During each training session, technicians are encouraged to:

• Explore the virtual environment and become familiar with the facilities and equipment.
• Observe and learn step-by-step procedures for various maintenance and repair scenarios.
• Perform a similar repair scenario while receiving guided prompts from the instructor.
• Practice procedure scenarios with guided prompts from the instructor and independently.
• Take a final assessment requiring them to perform a randomly generated version of the procedure without guidance.

Instructors engage with learners throughout the live guided and prompted virtual reality simulations to provide directions and feedback. As each participant completes the final assessment, they receive a detailed evaluation and rating on their performance results before being certified to work on actual equipment.