CM Labs has introduced the industry’s first real-time three-person crew simulation training with machine-to-machine interaction, allowing excavator, articulated dump truck and dozer operators to train as a team.
The open sandbox training environment in the Intellia 3-Person Crew Training immerses crews in a shared virtual workspace where they can coordinate operations, communicate in real time and build the collaborative skills needed to perform safely and efficiently on the job.
“Teamwork is an essential part of heavy equipment operation, and yet it’s also one of the hardest to train for,” said Alan Limoges, manager of product growth and partnerships. “The costs associated with having three pieces of equipment reserved for training, along with the added safety risks of having several inexperienced operators working together, present an enormous challenge for getting crews ready for busy worksites. We developed 3-Person Crew Training to help address these problems by making it easier and safer for teams to practice real-life situations together.”
With no explicit objectives to accomplish in the open sandbox learning environment, instructors have the flexibility to assign tasks for each operator. CM Labs says this format allows teams to develop the following skills:
- Build coordination, timing and sequencing skills when operating multiple machines together.
- Improve teamwork, situational awareness and communication skills essential for efficient crew-based operations.
- Develop proficiency in earthmoving tasks such as trenching, stockpiling, hauling, grading and slope benching.
- Practice earthmoving scenarios in a freeform environment, such as drainage channels, retention ponds, reshaping slopes, cut-and-fill operations and stockpiling. The realistic earth rendered in Intellia 3-Person Crew Training uses CM Labs’ award-winning technology, allowing it to spread, move, and clump just like the real thing.
“CM Labs offers the only crew training with true machine-to-machine interaction,” adds Limoges. “When the excavator dumps dirt into the ADT, the trainee operating the ADT feels the motion of the dump truck as the dirt hits the trailer. These details and this realism enhance learning outcomes because skills learned in the simulation translate to real work environments. It enhances safety because trainees learn the same cues and sensations they’ll have with real equipment.”
Intellia 3-Person Crew Training requires a minimum of three simulators to run. It is compatible with CM Labs’ Edge Plus, Edge Max and Advantage simulators.
