A virtual environment for training overhead crane operators: real-time implementation

In a manufacturing enterprise, virtual environments can improve productivity by allowing employees to train without taking production equipment out of service. As a demonstration of this capability, we have developed a virtual environment to simulate overhead crane operation. This virtual environment was developed by combining 3-D factory drawings with 3-D simulation models of crane and load motion. The crane simulator allows an operator to maneuver a crane and load in three dimensions. Implemented on a PC with an update rate of 14.3 Hz, the simulator runs in real-time interaction that approximates live machinery.