Immersive VR Safety Training for Commercial Fishing
📘 Research Overview
My current research at HiMER Lab at ASU explores how Virtual Reality can revolutionize safety training for high-risk jobs like commercial fishing. The project includes building immersive virtual interfaces, 3D environments, virtual instructors, and interactive emergency modules using Unreal Engine and Metahuman technologies.
❗ Problem Statement
Commercial fishing is one of the most hazardous jobs globally due to unpredictable environmental conditions, equipment failure, and lack of practical emergency training. Traditional training is classroom-based and often insufficient in preparing trainees for real-world dangers. This research tackles the challenge by introducing an immersive VR-based training system that simulates realistic emergency situations and provides interactive, scenario-based learning.
🔧 Methodology
Environment Design – Created virtual fishing boat and realistic weather effects.
Facial Rigging – Used control boards and sequencer for accurate speech/emotion simulation.
Training Scenarios – Simulated boat flooding, man overboard, and flare usage.
Voice-Guided Instructors – Animated Metahumans give real-time safety guidance.
📊 Evaluation Strategy
Pre/Post Assessments – Measured improvement in emergency response skills and knowledge retention.
Usability Feedback – Collected qualitative data on user engagement and interface ease-of-use.
Comparison – Benchmarked results against traditional classroom training.
🎓 Research Gallery
Flooding Training Video
Real-time VR training simulation of a boat flooding scenario with player-controlled response.
VR Environment Setup
Unreal Engine scene showing dynamic ocean, boats, and explorable terrain for emergency drills.
Instructor Facial Rigging in Sequencer
Precise control over facial expressions using Unreal’s control board and animation timeline.
Metahuman Instructor 2
One of the virtual instructors designed to guide trainees through emergency protocols.
Metahuman Instructor 3
Fully rigged Metahuman character for immersive, voice-guided safety demonstrations.