Immersive training in XR
Training delivered in virtual reality and augmented reality: 3D environments and content the trainee can look around, move through and interact with.
Immersive training
VR training and AR training, with an AI assistant alongside
TOM SHAW delivers VR training and AR training: immersive training in virtual and augmented reality (XR), with an AI training assistant alongside the training, for organisations across Australia.
What is VR training and AR training?
VR training and AR training, together called XR or immersive training, put the trainee inside the lesson. In virtual reality (VR) training the trainee wears a headset and works in a fully simulated 3D environment. In augmented reality (AR) training digital content is laid over the real world around them. TOM SHAW delivers training in both, with an AI training assistant alongside.
Immersive training lets people see a place, a piece of equipment or a situation in three dimensions and work through it, rather than only reading about it or watching it on a flat screen. Because the trainee looks around, moves and makes decisions, the lesson becomes something they do, not just something they are told.
Two parts, working together
Immersive training, and an AI training assistant beside it.
An AI training assistant
An AI assistant that sits alongside the training, so help is there while people learn.
See it in 3D
VR, AR and XR: the terms
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| VR (virtual reality) | The trainee is inside a fully simulated 3D environment. |
| AR (augmented reality) | Digital content is placed over the real world the trainee can see. |
| XR (extended reality) | The umbrella term covering VR, AR and mixed reality. |
| Immersive training | Training delivered through XR, so the trainee experiences the lesson in three dimensions. |
VR training vs AR training: how they differ
Both are immersive, but they suit different jobs. VR training replaces what the trainee sees, so it can recreate a place or situation that is hard, costly or unsafe to stage for real. AR training keeps the real world in view and adds guidance to it, so it suits learning on or beside the actual equipment.
| Aspect | VR training | AR training |
|---|---|---|
| What the trainee sees | A fully virtual 3D environment. | The real surroundings, with digital labels, instructions or 3D models placed over them. |
| Typical equipment | A VR headset, usually with hand controllers or hand tracking. | An AR headset or smart glasses, or a phone or tablet camera. |
| Best suited to | Rehearsing hazardous, rare or high-pressure situations, and visiting places the trainee cannot easily reach. | Learning a task in place: step-by-step guidance at a machine, identifying parts, or checking work against a procedure. |
| Where it happens | A clear, safe space, such as a training room. | At the workstation, on the floor or in the field, alongside the real job. |
Many training programs use both: VR to build understanding and confidence before anyone goes near the hazard, and AR to support the same people once they are doing the work.
Where immersive training is used
VR and AR training are used wherever learning by doing matters but practising for real is difficult. Common uses include:
- Safety and hazard awareness. Spotting hazards on a simulated site, working at heights, confined spaces and isolating energy before work begins.
- Emergency response. Rehearsing evacuations, fire response and incident drills without disrupting a real workplace.
- Equipment and procedures. Learning how a machine works, the order of a procedure, or where each component sits, before touching the real thing.
- Inductions. Showing new starters around a site and its rules before their first day on it.
- Soft skills. Practising conversations such as customer service, de-escalation or giving feedback with simulated people.
VR safety training in Australia: what a program involves
VR safety training uses virtual reality to let workers practise recognising and responding to hazards in a simulated environment, where a mistake teaches a lesson instead of causing an injury. In Australia it sits alongside an organisation's existing work health and safety (WHS) training, not in place of it. A typical program covers:
- Choosing the tasks. Start with the hazards and tasks that are high-risk, rarely practised or hard to train on the job.
- Setting the learning outcomes. Decide what a trainee must recognise, decide and do correctly by the end.
- Building realistic scenarios. The environment, equipment and hazards should match the real work closely enough that the lesson carries over.
- Orientation. A short introduction to the headset and controls, so the technology does not get in the way of the learning.
- Guided practice, then independent practice. Trainees work through the scenario with help available, then again on their own, repeating it as often as they need.
- Assessment and feedback. Each attempt shows what the trainee did well and what they missed, so trainers can focus where it matters.
- Review and refresh. Scenarios are updated when the site, the equipment or the procedure changes, and refresher sessions keep skills current.
Benefits of VR and AR training
- Practise without the real-world risk. Trainees can face a hazard, make the wrong call and learn from it safely.
- Repeat as often as needed. A scenario can be run again and again, which is rarely possible with a live exercise.
- Consistent training. Every trainee gets the same scenario and the same standard, wherever they are.
- Learning by doing. Looking, moving and deciding in 3D engages people more than reading a manual or watching a video.
- Less disruption. Training does not need to stop production, close an area or tie up real equipment.
- Help in the moment. With an AI training assistant alongside, trainees can get hints and answers while they work, rather than waiting for a trainer.
Things to plan for
Immersive training works best when its limits are planned for. Some people feel motion sickness in VR, so sessions should start short and let trainees stop whenever they need to. Headsets need a clear, safe space, a cleaning routine between users, and charging and updates managed. And VR is a complement to hands-on experience and supervised practical assessment, not a replacement where those are required.
More from TOM SHAW
VR and AR training: common questions
What is XR training?
XR (extended reality) training is training delivered in virtual reality, augmented reality or both, so the trainee experiences the lesson in three dimensions instead of on a flat page or screen.
What is the difference between VR and AR training?
In VR training the trainee is inside a fully simulated 3D environment. In AR training digital content is placed over the real world around them.
Does TOM SHAW offer VR training in Australia?
Yes. TOM SHAW delivers immersive training in virtual and augmented reality for organisations across Australia, with an AI training assistant alongside the training.
What is the AI training assistant?
An AI assistant that sits alongside the immersive training, so trainees have help available while they learn.
What is VR training?
VR training is training delivered in virtual reality. The trainee wears a headset and works through a fully simulated 3D environment, such as a worksite or a piece of equipment, practising tasks and decisions as if they were there.
What is AR training used for?
AR training places digital guidance over the real world, so it is commonly used to learn a task in place: following a procedure at a machine, identifying parts, or getting instructions while doing the work.
What is VR safety training?
VR safety training uses virtual reality to let workers practise recognising and responding to hazards in a simulated environment, so they can make mistakes and learn from them without the risk of real injury. It complements, rather than replaces, an organisation's existing WHS training.
Can VR training replace hands-on training?
Not entirely. VR training is a strong way to build understanding and rehearse situations that are hard or unsafe to stage for real, but it works alongside hands-on experience and supervised practical assessment, not in place of them where those are required.
What equipment is needed for VR and AR training?
VR training generally needs a VR headset and a clear, safe space to move in. AR training can run on an AR headset or smart glasses, or on a phone or tablet. Talk to us about how and where you plan to train.
What if someone feels sick in VR?
Some people feel motion sickness in virtual reality. Short first sessions, a comfortable pace and the freedom to stop at any time help, and AR training is an option for people who prefer to keep the real world in view.