Virtual Reality Machines to Improve Training in Automation

Current market requirements in industrial sector have motivated the development and adoption of digital manufacturing software tools for control systems design, training, and process optimization. This practice, known as Virtual Commissioning, emulates the real process behavior in a computer software environment. This technology represents an opportunity for education where the virtual emulation of real processes can be used to equip Control and Automation laboratories where students can test, validate, and debug their control and automation strategies, contributing to student formation and solving the need of having costly, real industrial machinery to reinforce the understanding of classroom theory with practice. This is an excellent option for universities without enough resources, mainly in developing countries, where laboratories are commonly equipped with improvised homemade systems that don ́t represent what students will face in an industrial environment. The development of a general procedure of 6 stages for the creation of an automation simulation virtual final application called Virtual Reality Machine (VRM) is presented. VRM capabilities, scope, usage, and contribution to student’s formation are presented. Finally an equipping solution for automation and control laboratories is proposed.