Wed, 13 November, 2024
SafeXtend, a ground breaking virtual reality (VR) construction training environment, was launched at UK Construction Week in Birmingham, UK recently. The 3-day event, which attracts industry leaders and innovators from across the construction industry, saw SafeXtend draw significant interest for its immersive, interactive approach to health and safety training that is delivered through a new, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform.
Visitors to the SafeXtend exhibition stand, at UK Construction Week, had the opportunity to talk to representatives of the project consortium about the research and development being undertaken, as well as try out a prototype of the new platform. Designed to improve on-site safety and reduce accidents, SafeXtend enables trainees to experience real-life construction scenarios in a controlled, virtual setting, addressing the urgent need for scalable, skills-targeted, site-specific training solutions in the construction industry that are also cost-effective.
The SafeXtend VR solution in use.
Speaking about the SafeXtend platform, and the team’s experience of exhibiting at UK Construction Week which included meeting potential end-users, Dr Vladimir Vukovic of project lead V-LAB, said “Our goal with SafeXtend is to bridge the gap between theoretical safety knowledge and practical application.” Adding “The feedback we received over the 3-day event underscores the industry’s eagerness to adopt VR technologies to enhance safety training of construction personnel.”
Manning the 3-day exhibition stand each day were Vladimir Vukovic, Vishak Dudhee and Azhar N. Nalakath of V-LAB, who were joined by Paul Bass of Tricore on Day 1, Heidi Dyson of TWI on Days 2 and 3, and Ahmed Teyeb of Brunel Innovation Centre on Day 2.
The SafeXtend consortium partners, together with V-LAB, are the Brunel Innovation Centre (BIC), a strategic partnership between Brunel University London, TWI Ltd, Correll, Tricore Technical Services and The Power Hub.
The SafeXtend exhibition stand at UK Construction Week 2024.
Visit the SafeXtend website to find out more about the project.