Challenge
Wind turbine inspection at height is one of the most demanding and dangerous jobs in the energy sector. Training new inspectors in real conditions is expensive, time-consuming and creates real safety risks, for both the trainee and the turbine.
Alerion was looking for a way to reduce training costs and accelerate the preparation of new employees, without compromising training quality.
Solution
We created a fully-featured VR simulation where the inspector goes through the complete work procedure from start to finish, climbing the turbine, checking safety equipment, inspecting blades, identifying defects and preparing reports.
A drone with a camera gimbal system simulates the real inspection process, scanning turbine blades with a laser scanner. Interactive errors and defects are randomly placed in each session, so trainees cannot simply "memorize" the correct answers.
Technologies
The simulation was developed in Unity and optimized for Meta Quest VR headsets. The turbine's 3D model is highly detailed and precisely matches real turbine dimensions and structure. Physics calculations ensure realistic safety rope and instrument behavior.
Result
In the first trial phase, Aerify trained 12 new inspectors using the VR simulation as the primary training tool. Training time was reduced by 40%, and the error rate of new inspectors in their first real inspections was significantly lower compared to traditionally trained colleagues.
The simulation was enhanced with an analytics module that allows training managers to track each trainee's steps and identify weak points before starting real work.
