With the so-called Virtual Reality Software Development Kit, IT-experienced trainers at Audi will in future design the content of their training sessions themselves. Until now, this was only possible for programmers. That took a lot of time. A modular solution from Audi brand logistics is changing that.
In order to make virtual training accessible to as many employees as possible in the future, a five-person team at Audi from various business areas has designed a Virtual Reality Software Development Kit (SDK) - a kind of construction kit for creating virtual reality training.
In future, IT-experienced trainers will also be able to use this to put together VR training courses independently without any programming effort. Based on around 20 standard process steps such as "Remove component from container", "Fasten screws" or "Install part in vehicle", various training sequences can be combined.
"With the help of easy-to-use menu navigation, the trainer will in future select the desired work steps and put them together," explains project manager Mirko Göres from Audi Brand Logistics.
Workplace virtually reproduced in detail
Trainees from the Ingolstadt plant logistics have recently been training the so-called pick-by-light process in the training centre using this virtual modular principle. When picking components, a light signal shows the employee the required articles and their quantity directly at the respective picking compartment.
For the new VR training, the carmaker has recreated a typical workplace in virtual detail. Thanks to a pair of high-resolution 3D glasses on their heads and two controllers in their hands, the trainees can move around freely and practise various work routines with the help of various work assignments.
Simple and fast development
In the past eight months, the project team has already used the kit to create 20 different training variants for the Audi sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm in several languages. Compared to previous VR trainings, the development is much faster and more cost-effective.
With the modular system, training programmes can be put together for all operational and process-oriented work procedures. This means that it can be used not only in logistics, but also in service training or in production, for example, according to the car manufacturer.
"The virtual reality trainings are very well received by our employees," says trainer Florian Kunz from the Ingolstadt training centre. "The gamification approach is fun and thus also improves learning progress. If the trainee performs the tasks correctly, he receives points. In this way, the trainee learns his way through different levels, comparable to a video game."
The level of difficulty increases with each level: At the beginning, all the work steps are guided, but the programme gradually gives fewer instructions. In the last round, the employee has to complete all the tasks without help. According to Audi, this increases motivation and spurs the trainees' ambition.
The modular solution was developed through a cooperation between Audi brand logistics, sales, IT, training centre and Audi Academy. By the end of the year, the SDK will be integrated into Volkswagen's group-wide VR platform "Digital Reality Hub". In this way, trainers from other Group brands will also be able to access the software toolkit in the future.
Source: Production
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