Problem to be solved
MW Health and Safety Services wanted to modernise how forklift safety training is delivered. Traditional methods relied on physical demonstrations and theoretical learning, which limited accessibility and carried potential risks for trainees. The company required a safe, engaging, and immersive training solution that could teach employees proper forklift operation, highlight common safety mistakes, and demonstrate the consequences of unsafe behaviour, all without real-world danger or costs.
Solution
Working with the UX/XR Research Team at Nimbus Research Centre, a VR Forklift Simulator was developed using Unreal Engine 5.5 targeted at the Meta Quest 3/3S headsets. The simulator replicates realistic forklift operation through interactive levers, steering, and physics-driven movement, powered by Unreal’s Chaos Vehicle System.
Key safety features include:
- Mirror check system using gaze detection.
- Accident simulation using ragdoll physics for unsafe driving.
- Structured training courses teaching navigation, load handling, and hazard avoidance.
- Seatbelt simulation with realistic cloth physics.
The simulator focuses on intuitive user experience, immersive realism, and modular expandability for future training scenarios such as confined spaces and working at height.
Impact for the company
The VR simulator provides MW Safety Services with a risk-free, repeatable, and scalable training platform. It improves learning outcomes through experiential training and reinforces safe driving practices by visually demonstrating the consequences of errors. The system also reduces the need for physical training setups, lowering costs and environmental impact. MW can now offer interactive VR-based safety workshops, positioning the company as an innovator in digital health and safety training.
MW Health and Safety Services needed to move beyond risky, traditional methods for forklift safety training. The VR Forklift Simulator developed by the Nimbus Research Centre was the ideal solution. It provides a risk-free, repeatable, and scalable training platform that uses physics and immersive features to reinforce safe practice. This technology has significantly improved learning outcomes while simultaneously reducing our operational costs. We are now effectively positioned as an innovator in digital safety training."
Mick Whelan
Company Director
