{"id":384,"date":"2022-05-10T16:02:10","date_gmt":"2022-05-10T14:02:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/lde-test\/?p=384"},"modified":"2023-04-25T10:03:45","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T08:03:45","slug":"vrplc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/vrplc\/","title":{"rendered":"VR-PLC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PLCs are an important part of any automated shop floor operations across all manufacturing industries. To better prepare industrial professionals for the challenges of the digital transformation up- and reskilling of their existing workforce is essential. In the EU research project “VR-PLC: PLC-Centered VR-Training for Industry 4.0”, funded by EIT Manufacuturing<\/a>, scientists and users from Ruhr-Universit\u00e4t Bochum<\/a>, the Institute for Sustainable Technologies of the \u0141ukasiewicz Research Network<\/a> from Radom, Poland, and LINPRA<\/a>, the Lithuanian Mechanical Engineering and Technology Association, are working on an introductory course for programming programmable logic controllers. At the heart of the online and hybrid workshop format is the VR-PLC virtual learning environment, where users can interact with an industrial automation systems in VR or via their web browser to test their PLC programs with direct visual feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Companies in Eastern European countries, such as Poland and Lithuania, have a great need to support their employees in training and upskilling in modern technologies. Surveys conducted in the project show that current offerings are not satisfactory in this regard. Training formats are expensive, inflexible and do not cover industrial requirements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, scientists and didacticians at the \u0141ukasiewicz Research Network, together with companies from the Radom Metal Cluster<\/em>, an association of metalworking companies around the Polish city of Radom, have set up various PLC techno-educational stands with which trainees can learn the basics of PLC programming in a practical manner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of EIT Manufacturing is to build an interactive online learning platform for schoolchildren, students, trainees, technicians, and managers to provide the knowledge and skills needed for the digital and climate-neutral transformation of European industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project will produce interactive educational content and videos teaching how to use programmable logic controllers towards the Internet of Things. This online learning is complemented with practical exercises in the developed VR learning environment. The learning environment simulates a simple PLC, which is programmed by the users via an easy-to-use editor. Interactive help functionalities enable users to solve introductory and more advanced tasks with their own programs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The virtual environment is based on the physical PLC training stands and can be made accessible with VR hardware, such as the Occulus Quest 2. Users thus get an immersive overview of the problem to be solved and experience directly how the just created PLC program interacts with the machinery. For users without VR hardware, the environment can also be explored non-immersively  via a web browser. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The environment shows explanatory notes and allows users to interact directly with the various sensors and actuators. Users can also program the PLC in VR, using the same GUI as in the web browser, but on a virtual tablet. The environment is used where it makes didactic sense. Users start with simple problems on a very basic, technical stand to understand the basic elements of the ladder diagram graphical programming language. From there, the tasks and the machine become progressively larger until realistic problems can be solved. Therefore, the VR environment doesn’t stand alone, but is integrated into the online workshop format with videos and micro learning nuggets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

VR-PLC integrates a virtual learning environment into skills.move<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

EIT Manufacturing’s online learning platform delivers content in reusable learning nuggets, each of which is only between 5 and 15 minutes long and teaches a single concept. Several such nuggets, which can include texts, videos, interactive lectures or short tests, are assembled into a complex learning path, at the end of which the participant receives a certificate for the skills learned. The VR-PLC project shows practically how such learning paths can be enriched with immersive and non-immersive VR learning nuggets. The VR content is seamlessly integrated to the other content on the platform. Participants start the VR environment directly from the online platform, whereupon they can solve the given problem and practice learned knowledge. Successful completion is reported back to the platform, where the learning path continues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The project thus not only shows how VR can be used practically in education and training today, but also forms the basis for a VR extension of the EIT Manufacturing learning platform.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Sponsor<\/h3>\n \n
\n \"\"\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n Sponsor\n <\/div>\n
\n EIT Manufacturing\n <\/div>\n
\n \n This project is funded by EIT Manufacturing.\n\n EIT Manufacturing is an Innovation Community within the\n European Institute of Innovation &amp; Technology (EIT) \u2013\n that connects the leading manufacturing actors in Europe.\n Fueled by a strong interdisciplinary and trusted community,\n EITM will add unique value to European products, processes, services \u2013\n and inspire the creation of globally competitive and sustainable manufacturing.\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

More Information<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n
\n Factsheet\n <\/div>\n
\n Download\n <\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n\n
\n
\n Abstract\n <\/div>\n
\n Download\n <\/div>\n<\/a><\/div>\n\n
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\n \n Contact\n <\/a>\n <\/div>\n
\n <\/a>\n \n\n

Activity Leader<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jan Luca Siewert, MSc
jan.siewert@ruhr-uni-bochum.de<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

\n More Information\n<\/a><\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n

Partners<\/h2>\n\n\n
\n

Partners<\/h3>\n \n
\n \"\"\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n Germany\n <\/div>\n
\n Ruhr-University Bochum\n <\/div>\n
\n With over 40000 students, Ruhr-University Bochum is one of the biggest universities in Germany.\n Located in the center of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan-area, Ruhr-University has a wide range of local, national\n and global partners.\n The chair for Digital Engineering has nearly a decade of experience in Mixed Reality and is constantly\n developing new and innovative research, like new Augmented Reality Content Management System\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n
\n \"\u0141ukasiewicz\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n Poland\n <\/div>\n
\n \u0141ukasiewicz Research Network\n <\/div>\n
\n \u0141ukasiewicz Research Network \u2013 The Institute for Sustainable Technologies\n(previously named: Institute for Sustainable Technologies-National Research Institute)\nis a state-owned research and development institution conducting basic and applied research as well as\nimplementation in the field of advanced technologies related to machines manufacturing and\nmaintenance, materials engineering, environmental protection and lifelong learning studies.\n180 highly qualified specialized work on the topics prototyping, surface engineering, tribology,\nbioeconomy &amp; eco-innovation, and VET reasearch &amp; innovation management.\n\nThe Institute’s scope of activity comprises the modelling of processes and structures of knowledge\ntransformation and technology transfer into economy, as well as scientific research in the area vocational education and training. \n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n \n
\n \"LINPRA\"\n <\/div>\n
\n
\n Lithuania\n <\/div>\n
\n LINPRA\n <\/div>\n
\n LINPRA, the engineering and technology industries association of Lithuania, represents the interests of Lithuanian engineering \/\n technology sector, both nationally and internationally, and at present unites about 130 organisations,\n among which are metal products, machinery and equipment, electro-mechanics and electronics, plastics and rubber industry companies,\n technology service providers, and educational institutions.\n\nLINPRA’s aim is to promote sustainable growth and international competitiveness of industry’s companies.\n Fuelling and accelerating Industry 4.0, LINPRA helps businesses reshape the way they work, innovate and create.\n\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/a>\n<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Working with PLCs is becoming an even more important skill for shop-floor workers in the context\n of digitalization and Industry 4.0.\n In this projected an international consortium consisting of\n Ruhr-University Bochum,\n \u0141ukasiewicz Institute for Sustainable Technologies, and\n LINPRA, the engineering and technology industries association of Lithuania,\n builds a workshop format for up-skilling of these workers on virtual PLC techno-educational\n stands to make them and their companies ready for the digital transformation.\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":100000483,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-384","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-projekte"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":828,"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384\/revisions\/828"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lde.ruhr-uni-bochum.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}