Innovation

and Training Centre

People whose job is working in dangerous environments need high-quality training, without exposing the trainees to real danger.

Highways England’s Traffic Officers work on highways 24/7, often outside their vehicles on busy roads. They deal with loose animals, drivers in distress, crashes, spillages and other extremely stressful situations.

Traditionally the Traffic Officer trainees are taught in the classroom, on a mock-up highway, and time with qualified Traffic Officers on the road network.

FEATURED TECHNOLOGIES:

  • Virtual Reality
  • Extended Reality
  • Augmented Reality
  • Mixed Reality

IN 2020, WE built a 500 sq m Immersive Training Centre for Highways England to train officers in real life experiences.

TOBY PETTINGERMXT Managing Partner

Immersive Training Environment

Immersive Technology

Immersive Technology solutions can be designed to expose trainees to the feelings of stress and danger that they might encounter. In 2020 MXT built an Immersive Training Centre for Highways England. The centre, itself, is a 500m2 warehouse space. Inside it is a trainer booth, where the trainer can control, manage, build, and change the Virtual Reality simulated environment.

freedom & safety

At the trainer’s control, different situations can be enacted and the team coached by the trainer who can either appear in the simulation with the trainees or remain outside it in contact via audio.

CONTROL & IMMERSIVE SOUND

The trainees all wear backpacks that power the experience, through their headsets, so they can freely roam the centre. Trainees can see and interact with each other within the simulation. In the case of Highways England the base build is a super realistic CGI highway complete with live traffic. The physical space is surrounded by an immersive sound system so the trainees experience exactly what it’s like to be working on a live road with traffic they see, hear and feel as it rushes past

BETTER TRAINING

By using the centre the new Traffic Officers are accustomed to the situations in which they will find themselves when at work for real. The new Traffic Officers have a higher level of confidence, experience, and are safer and more competent when they start real work on the road network.