A Virtual Reality Training Platform for Live Line Maintenance of Power Distribution Networks

Conference ICBL2009 November 05 - 07, 2009 Florianopolis, Brazil

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A virtual reality training platform for live line maintenance of

power distribution networks

Tiago Martinuzzi Buriol

1, Matheus Rozendo

1, Klaus de Geus

1,2,

Sérgio Scheer1, Carlos Felsky

3

UFPR - Universidade Federal do Paraná, COPEL - Companhia Paranaense de Energia,

LACTEC – Intituto de Tecnologia para o Desenvolvimento

Abstract:

Live-line maintenance of power distribution networks is performed in order to avoid

the interruption of energy supply. A Virtual Reality (VR) application can assist in the

training of high-risk activities providing many benefits over other approaches. For

example, simulations can be repeated as many times as necessary and for a greater

number of trainees without risk and with less cost. This paper presents the

development of a novel system based on semi-immersive VR applied to training

activities on live-lines. In addition to hardware components that define the whole

platform, aspects of design, architecture and software development, which establish

the basis for the proposal of a comprehensive platform, are thoroughly discussed.

Keywords: Virtual Reality, Training in Critical Activities, Power Line Maintenance.

1 Introduction

Large companies have recently increased their investment in sophisticated display rooms and

Virtual Reality (VR) centres. The benefits and advantages of these technologies are not yet

fully known and have been experimented in an incremental manner. In Brazil, for example,

some companies such as Embraer, Petrobras [1] and car assembly plants have pioneered the

use of VR. Currently many other companies are beginning to invest in this technology, and

such is the case of the energy utility sector.

Petrobras, for example, is currently expanding its research centre, called CENPES, the largest

in Latin America. Among the research laboratories being established, two are VR centres:

HoloSpace and CAVE. These investments show an expectation about the benefits of using

VR. The applications range from the visualization of geological layers and reservoirs to the

visualization of complex engineering structures at several levels of detail [2].

At Embraer, the use of VR allows for the reduction of development time of new aircrafts and

provides the company with greater ability to produce aircrafts with different specifications,

focused on customers’ needs [3]. This technology helps to improve methods for fast

implementation of part arrangements and 3D components, the visualization of aircrafts in full

size, simulation of manufacturing and assembly, and engineering analysis.

At the Volkswagen headquarters, located in the city of São Bernardo do Campo, a VR centre

has recently been opened. The room is used by designers and engineers to review and

improve projects providing greater agility and lowering costs. Volkswagen of Brazil reduced


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the average time for setting up new car assembly lines and launching new models in the

country from four to two years [4].

Besides the aforementioned applications, general training applications based on VR have

grown significantly in recent years. Virtual environment based training reduces costs and

avoids risk situations [5], [6], [7] and [8]. The use of VR provides a clear and realistic view of

facilities, systems, and complex operations. It also provides an environment in which

procedures and working practices can be safely demonstrated and performed. Finally, VR

provides a level of practical experiences not available in normal circumstances, which can

also allow for the control of the learning complexity in different situations [9].

In the energy sector, companies must invest in the training of teams to perform high-risk

activities, such as live line power distribution networks maintenance. Live line maintenance

activities reduce costs caused by the interruption of power supply, among other benefits. At

Copel Distribuição, live-line training is performed within five weeks divided into a theoretical

part and a practical part.

The theory is taught in classroom, using printed material, photos and videos. It lasts

approximately two weeks and approaches topics such as history, security, technology and

maintenance of tools and a module of psychological behaviour. The practice course lasts three

weeks. In the first part the practice is performed using no energized lines. In the following

two weeks, the practice is performed using energized lines, with the constant care and

supervision of the instructor. The training with energized lines is a high risk activity. On live-

line operations, the risk of loss of human lives is eminent and priceless. In addition, the

average cost of a work accident can reach USD 60,000.

During 2007, from January to September, 149 accidents were reported on live-line

maintenance activities, which generated a direct cost (20% of total cost) of USD 1,750,000.

Training using VR can improve the quantity and quality of information and the acquisition of

knowledge, thus reducing the number of accidents and associated losses.

Despite the advantages of using VR in the training process, the availability of a

comprehensive system focusing on the demand of the energy utility sector for training

activities on live-line has not yet been reported in the literature. Furthermore, the platform

design for a virtual environment is a complex task. Choosing an adequate software and

hardware framework is also not trivial. In addition, the design of the functional model and the

didactic and instructive aspects of the system require an elaborate study and constant

validation with end users.

This paper reports the development of a training system based on VR for live-line

maintenance of power distribution networks. The idealization of the basic platform, choices of

software and hardware, and software development aspects are presented and discussed.

2 Related Works

Examples of immersive environments for training can be found in many fields, being applied

in activities such as dozer operation in the mining industry [10]; military skills [11], medical

surgery [12], and assembly procedures in the manufacturing industry [13].

In Brough et al. [14] a virtual environment for training of mechanical assembly is presented.

The system focuses on the cognitive aspect of training and allows students to recognize parts,

remember the assembly sequence, and to receive guidance on how to select the parts to be

assembled. The system has three training modes: (1) interactive simulations, (2) 3D

animations, and (3) video. Tests are also presented with end users.


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In the energy sector, Tam [15] and Arroyo and los Arcos [5] present training systems for

operators of electric power substations. The system developed by Tam is based on low cost

desktop, which provides a 3D interface, speech recognition and multiplayer support. The

system developed by Arroyo and los Arcos combines the 3D model of the substation, a

wizard that allows for the access of information and also a simulation of substation operation.

Netto [16] presents a 3D virtual environment to assist in decision making on planning and loss

reduction in power distribution networks. Park [6], reports the development of a system for

training of live-line workers, in which the replacement of a fuse switch is simulated. The

system provides for speech recognition, used to simulate the communication between team

members. The system uses a PC and the main input/output devices consist of a Head Mounted

Display HMD and a glove used to provide interaction. The platform proposed in the paper

presents some differences and advantages in relation to the system reported by Park, which

will be discussed further in section 6.

Angelov [17] presents a non-immersive 3D and desktop-based system for training in power

systems teaching. The author cites the advantages of using virtual 3D models for interactive

presentation and its incremental effects on the education process and retention of knowledge.

Arendarski [8] proposes a system for maintenance, repair and diagnosis of complex

machinery such as transformers and generators. The paper introduces a scheme that integrates

the technology of VR to machines and electrical equipment providing an efficient tool to

improve training methods. The interactive 3D visualization is explored as a new way of

transferring knowledge and relative content to complex equipments.

3 An Overview of the Available Virtual Reality Technology

As computer intensive applications, virtual reality systems require several dedicated

technology components, some of which are described in this section.

3.1 Graphic APIs

A graphic API (Application Programming Interface), such as OpenGL and Direct3D, is a

framework used for the development of graphic systems. Its computer programming

components are used to access hard coded commands allowing for the specification of

primitives, manipulation of the coordinate system, operations with matrices, texture mapping,

among other commands.

The graphic API is used to achieve better performance in the development of applications.

However, they do not offer management tools and scene optimization. For example, all

specified polygons will be processed, even if some of them are out of sight for the user.

Moreover, both OpenGL and Direct3D are "state machines", i.e. the commands change the

current state of graphic hardware. The "state" represents a configuration and if it is changed, it

may be necessary to interrupt the flow of the graph processing, discard all the work

previously done, reconfigure and resume processing. Some of these limitations can be

minimized by means of tools for managing scene graphs [18] and [19].

3.2 Scene Graph

A graph is a mathematical structure formed by nodes, linked with each other, used to store a

collection of objects in an organized form. A scene graph is a hierarchical data structure,

acyclic, which uses a high-level approach for modelling and managing scenes in computer


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graphics. The hierarchical structure of objects in a scene graph is used for optimizing a

number of procedures in an application [18].

For example, in a scene which contains several houses, each one having several rooms, one

house being outside of the field of view implies that all its rooms are also outside the field of

view. When this is done automatically, it is possible to exclude the part of the scene that does

not contribute with the final image, which represents a significant advantage. Another

important characteristic of the hierarchical structure is the ease of manipulation. For example,

a car is built with several parts such as the chassis and the wheels. A possible hierarchy could

be modelled establishing the object "car" as the parent node and the other objects as its

children. in order to move the whole car, it is only necessary to move the "root object" of this

hierarchy and all its children will be moved automatically.

3.3 Immersive Virtual Environments

A three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment is a computational representation of space and

time, which can reproduce several aspects of the real and abstract world. Some aspects are:

camera, lighting, appearance, shape, behaviour and object arrangements in space and time. In

a graphic computing application, a 3D virtual environment refers to a scenario where the user

can navigate and interact, exchanging information with the virtual world and experiencing the

reactions of the environment according to their actions. Immersive virtual environments are

those that stimulate the various senses of the user in order to cause the immersion sensation,

i.e., the felling to be fully inserted into the virtual environment. The stereoscopic vision, the

3D sound and the real-time response to user actions are primordial elements for providing

immersion.

In an immersive virtual environment, the camera controls the view that a user has of the

virtual world. The light is generated by light sources added to the scene. There are several

types of lighting that can be used. The appearance refers to material, texture, opacity, shadow,

reflection and other attributes which define the appearance of an object. Just like the

geometrical description, appearance interferes directly in the final image and the speed to

generate this image. The behaviour of an object can be, for example, static or dynamic. The

dynamic object is the one that changes its position, shape or appearance between two frames.

VR technology includes all components which deal with the creation and implementation of

immersive virtual environments. Each of these elements can be inserted into a structure of the

scene graph, which will represent the virtual environment.

3.4 Stereoscopy

The three-dimensional view perceived by the user is the result of how the brain interprets the

pair of two-dimensional images that each eye captures from its point of view (see Fig. 1).

Figure 1 – Pair of stereo views

Resource: Author


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In addition to this natural process for obtaining stereoscopy, artificial processes, whether

computer-generated or not, can give the observer the sense of depth [20]. In computer

graphics, stereoscopy can be achieved by means of two images obtained by two virtual

cameras separated by a certain distance. These images can be separated by libraries such as

the Open Scene Graph [21]. In order to achieve this, some parameters must be correctly set

such as the distance between the eyes and the size of the display.

3.5 Physical Machine

The realism of a virtual object is normally assessed considering two main aspects: appearance

and behaviour [22]. The realistic appearance depends on rendering techniques which may

include, for example, texture mapping and illumination. The realistic physical behaviour

requires a processing that involves many numerical calculations based on the laws of physics.

This processing can be performed, for example, using a Physical Engine (PE), that is, a library

or development kit for physical simulation.

The PE consists of computational programming components used to simulate rigid bodies,

particles, waves, deformable objects like tissues and to detect collisions between objects. The

level of realism provided by a PE is directly related to the accuracy level of results obtained

bythe numerical processing. Many PE are currently available and some of them are open

source. Some examples are: PhysX1, HAVOK

2, Bullet

3 and Open Dynamic Engine

4. Bullet

was chosen for this work due to its main advantages, namely, being open source, multi-

platform and hardware independent.

3.6 Interaction Devices

The most common interaction devices are the monitor, the mouse and the keyboard. In VR

systems, in addition to the input and output of data, interaction devices are used to provide a

more intuitive and natural way for communicating with the system, providing the user with a

deeper sensation of immersion.

The most common output interaction devices used in VR are HMDs (Head Mounted

Displays), which are basically displays attached to the head of the user; CAVEs (Cave

Automatic Virtual Environment), which, according to the Wikipedia5, are immersive virtual

reality environments where projectors are directed to three, four, five or six of the walls of a

room-sized cube; force-feedback equipments and also audio and video. As for input devices,

some of the most used are datagloves, which are gloves equipped with sensors used to capture

the movements of the hands; 3D mice; tracking devices used for keeping track of important

information such as position, rotation and acceleration and stereoscopic glasses.

4 The VR Live-Line Project - Characterization of the problem

The VR environment described in this paper supports the use of VR technology, which has

been recognized for the last decades as a powerful Human-Computer Interface (HCI) [23],

especially when applied to training systems. Publications show that investments have been

1 http://www.nvidia.com.br/object/nvidia_physx_br.html

2 http://www.havok.com

3 http://www.bulletphysics.com 4 http://www.ode.org 5 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cave_Automatic_Virtual_Environment


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made in research and development of systems based on VR for training of staff focusing on

the needs of the industrial and energy sector [5], [24] and [25].

The main objectives of the project are: (1) The modelling and the development of a virtual

environment for training activities in live-line maintenance using VR techniques combined

with Innovative Interfaces for HCI, (2) The investigative study about the human behaviour

and local culture in maintenance activities in live-line, which is taken into consideration in the

system modelling, (3) The establishment of a new method of training based on a virtual

environment, which will improve the existing process, the participation of a greater number of

trainees and their safeness , (4) the increasing of the scope and effectiveness of the process

and the generation of specialized knowledge.

The modelling and development of virtual environment systems includes geometric and

functional modelling of all objects that compound the whole scene. Geometric modelling has

to do with the creation of digital models (or meshes) of the objects such as poles, cables,

tools, buildings and other equipments. Functional modelling deals with how the user can

interact with the environment and how the environment, and each part of it, reacts to the

actions of the user. For example, if the user gets too close to an energized line, they could

receive an electric shock.

A detailed study of the human behaviour and the local culture in maintenance activities in

live-line is considered a second goal. However it is crucial for considerations about the

functional and behavioural modelling of the system. Finally, the two goals described next are,

respectively, the result and the consequence of the aforementioned goals.

Bearing in mind the objectives of the project (and the general profile of the end user), the

problem is characterized in such a way that a solution for software and hardware is

investigated in order to provide a good level of immersion and also to have simple and

intuitive interaction devices. It is desirable that the features of the system allow the user, with

minimal instructions on how to use the system, to reproduce the actions that they would

perform in practice. Creating a solution with these characteristics is not trivial, since the

activities of maintenance on live-lines involve the handling of features that cannot be

represented, in practice, in a virtual environment, such as the stiffness, inertia and weight of

tools and equipments. Therefore the solution should be focused on the cognitive aspects of

training and not on physical simulation precision. Accordingly, the system should allow the

user to indicate, interacting in a simple and intuitive way, their actions in a real situation.

Thus, the simulation will focus on procedures and on the correct sequence of actions.

To enable this solution, we must firstly analyse the aspects which must be approached in the

training, i.e. the way training is performed traditionally. There are three different methods of

performing maintenance activities in live-line: the contact method, the distance method and

the potential method. In the contact method, the electrician is in direct contact with energized

conductors. In the distance and potential methods the electrician uses special equipments like

insulating rods and conductive clothing. The distance and the potential methods represent,

together, less than 5% of the maintenance activities carried out by COPEL. Moreover, the

contact method requires more attention of the electrician, because it is obviously the most

dangerous among the three methods. For these reasons, these works focus on the contact

method, where the electrician is in direct contact with energized conductors.

According to the trainee´s guide employed in the process [26], the aims of the training

activities on live-line are: (1) To establish the correct procedures; (2) To establish the correct

execution sequence; (3) To establish security measures; (4) To scale the necessary resources

for implementation, (5) To provide basic information about the tools used; (6) To provide data


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about the mechanical and dielectric characteristics of the tools; (7) To warn about the care that

must be taken regarding the use, conservation and recovery of equipments.

Such goals have an instructive character rather than evaluative. In the context of a virtual

environment for training purposes, the instructive process and the learning evaluation may be

considered simultaneously or independently.

There are over twenty maintenance activities that are performed in a regular manner, such as

the replacement of pin and disk insulators, key fuses, lightning rods cross arms and unipolar

keys, pruning of trees, repair of polelines, and removal of strange objects on the polelines.

Each activity requires a separate and specific set of procedures. In this work the replacement

of cross arms was defined as the object of the system prototype, since it is considered an

important and frequent operation.

Each activity has a correct sequence of procedures to be followed. In the case of cross arm

replacement, the specific procedures consist of 78 steps. The following list describes the first

eight steps:

1. Cover the neutral line of low-voltage wires by using insulation cover; 2. Cover the nearest (to the electrician) phase; 3. Cover the phase in the middle position;

4. Cover the other side of the nearest phase (on the insulator); 5. Cover the insulator of the first phase; 6. Cover the side of the cross arm (between the nearest phase and the middle phase);

7. Cover the other side of the middle phase (on the insulator);

8. Cover the insulator of the middle phase.

In general, each of the steps to be performed in the virtual environment can be seen as the act

of choosing an object and placing it correctly. The steps should be performed following the

correct sequence.

In the case of maintenance activities on live-line, physical aspects like weight and inertia of

the equipments and tools used are, undoubtedly, important. However, as mentioned

previously, their representation is somewhat limited in immersive virtual environments.

In order to simulate the weight and strength of a brick when it is grabbed by the user, for

example, it would require a device with tactile response (force-feedback) similar to the

CyberForce6 system. In this work, devices with force-feedback have not been used, because

they are, in general, quite expensive. In addition, they do not offer considerable gains to the

electrician in terms of learning. Thus, this work focuses on the instructive aspects of the

system, directly related to the objectives of the training described in the trainee´s guide [26].

5 Functional Model

Regarding the features of the system, two different groups can be considered: the group of

features that are part of the system control (administrative area) and the group of features that

are part of the simulation activities. The features of the system control are those which

perform, for example, functions such as choosing an activity to be simulated (replacement of

a cross arm or an insulator, for example), selecting a scene, capturing and saving data

performed by the user, configuring parameters such as intensity of traffic of vehicles and

6 http://www.immersion.com/3d/products/cyber_force.php


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pedestrians. The features of the simulation part are divided into two distinct stages, the

procedures to prepare for the activity and the activity on the live line itself.

The preparation procedures for the activity are considered the basis for all live line activities.

They are related to safety and the preparation of the equipments and tools to be used.

Examples of these basic procedures are choosing the equipments, placing/parking the truck,

wearing the individual protection equipment (IPE), cleaning the equipments, placing the

equipments over the canvas, requesting for the shutdown of auto reclosures and manoeuvring

the air baskets.

The live line activities are those related with the maintenance tasks to be performed, from the

moment the electrician is positioned next to the energized conductors. In general, four distinct

"usage modes" for a virtual training system are possible [8]: (1) free and interactive

navigation and exploration of the virtual 3D environment with access to teaching multimedia

content; (2) Instructional presentation in order to demonstrate how to perform certain task; (3)

Guided simulation which monitors and alerts the user in the occurrence of mistakes and

provides guidance as to the correct way to perform the task; (4) Free simulation by the user

with performance monitoring results being shown when the simulation is finished.

For training purposes, the most efficient mode is the latter, in which the user is free to do

anything without any guidance or supervision [8]. In this virtual environment, the activities

are performed as they occur in the real world. In practical terms, the trainee, already

positioned next to the energized conductor, will indicate the equipments which will be used,

selecting them within the scene and marking the position where each equipment will be

placed. In this way, during the simulation, the user tasks consist of: (1) selecting the objects in

the scene and (2) moving the object to another position. The trainee should select the right

object according to the right sequence, always being aware of the distances and the safest way

to handle objects.

Although live line teams are formed by groups of three or more people, in this platform, only

one professional may be trained at a time. The emphasis is placed on the training of the

electrician who will be in contact with the energized lines. The goal is to monitor and enhance

the skills and knowledge of only one trainee at a time.

6 Proposed Platform

With respect to software, the development of the virtual environment described in this work

involves the integration of a set of libraries and development kits for the following functions:

(1) Rendering; (2) Physical simulation (dynamics and collision); (3) Audio control; and (4)

Input/Output devices control.

For the rendering process, the Open Scene Graph7 (OSG) toolkit was chosen for beingopen

source, object oriented, multi-platform, written in C++, efficient and with accessible

documentation and examples. For the physical simulation, Bullet Physics was chosen, also

being open source, multi-platform, written in C++ and object oriented (see Fig. 2). For the

control of Wii Remotes8 devices, the library WiiYourself!

9 was selected. The OpenAL

10

library was chosen for audio control and Lib3DS11 for the interpretation of files in 3DS

(Autodesk) format.

7 http://www.openscenegraph.org

8 http://www.nintendo.com/wii/what/accessorie

9 http://wiiyourself.gl.tter.org 10 http://connect.creativelabs.com/openal/default.aspx 11 http://www.lib3ds.org


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As for hardware, the initial project considered an HMD, gloves with sensors, a set of

positional tracking devices and a special vest, adapted from a fencing vest. After a more

thorough study and some tests performed with some of these equipments this combination of

devices showed not to be the best choice for the virtual environment, given the nature of this

kind of training activities.

Figure 2 – Software layer diagram

The 5DT HMD 800-26 monitor attached to the head, for example, has a resolution of 800 by

600 pixels and offers a restrict field of view, 28º horizontally, 21º vertically and 26º along the

diagonal. Its weight of approximately 600g significantly affects the comfort and restricts user

movements. This model costs about USD 4,000 and the 5DT HMD 800-40 model, with field

of view of 40º along the diagonal, costs about USD 10,000. To update the scene according to

the position of the head, it is necessary to use a tracker. The Pollemus12 MINUTEMAN

model, with three degrees of freedom (DOF), is capable of detecting the inclination of the

head along the three main axes. It costs about USD 1,500.

All these characteristics led to the decision of replacing the Mitsubishi WD-73735 HMD by

two 73 inches TVs. This kind of TV costs about USD 2,500 each and its resolution reaches

1920×1080, also supporting the generation of stereoscopic images. In addition, the user can

stay 1.5 metres away from the centre of the screen, which provides a field of view of 57.8°

horizontally and 40.5° vertically. Using another television set, placed below the first one, with

a45° inclination to the horizontal axis, as illustrated in Figure 1, the angle of sight of the user

can reach 81° vertically. This means that, using two TV sets, the field of view can be four

times higher compared to an HMD.

During the live-line activity, the electrician remains within an insulated basket, limiting their

movements and making the position of the head not exceed one metre around the central

position. This sets a favourable case for the use of a headtracker (crawler's head position)

based on the system of Lee [27]. In this system the user point-of-view is screened by the

infrared camera of a Wii Remote, also called Wiimote (wireless control of the video game

Nintendo Wii) that captures signals from a pair of infrared LEDs (Light-emitting diode)

attached to the eye glasses of the user. A disadvantage of this system is that the user must be

in the field of view of the camera, which for this work does not represent any limitation

considering that the user have movement restrictions.

By installing a Wiimote on a TV set, the Wiimote infrared camera will be able to detect the

position of a pair of infrared emitting LEDs installed in the helmet of the trainee, as illustrated

in Figure 2. Thus, the system can track the position of the head and update the image

12 http://www.polhemus.com


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according to the user point-of-view. This allows, for example, the electrician to move the head

to the side to see an object located behind another object, just as it is done naturally in the real

world.

The primary interaction device that, originally, would be a pair of datagloves was replaced by

another Wiimote controlled by the trainee. The reason for choosing Wiimote is that it can be

used as a pointer to move virtual objects in the scene in an easy and intuitive fashion. The

trainee will only have to point, click and drag the objects within the scene, whereas the glove

would require the user to memorize a series of gestures [7]. In addition, a 5DT Data Glove 5

Ultra model pair of gloves costs about USD 2,000, whereas the Wiimote costs only about

USD 35.

In order to allow for the Wiimote to be tracked with six degrees of freedom, it is necessary to

have a set of four infrared emitting LEDs in the field of vision [28]. The camera of the

Wiimote can detect and track up to four sources of infrared light. The camera has an internal

image processor that analyses the image, identifies bright spots and calculates its coordinates.

These values can be found by the computer connected to the Wiimote via Bluetooth.

Furthermore, the Wiimote has a set of programmable buttons that allows for the navigation

within the virtual environment.

Referring to Figure 3, the Wiimote infrared camera (focus point) detects the positions of the

LEDs located below the TV (IR Beacon) that can be seen in picture 4 of Figure 3. These

positions are two dimensional, thus forming an image plane. From the time that these

positions are sent to the computer, the position and orientation of the Wiimote is calculated.

This is only possible because the arrangement of LEDs at the bottom of the TV set is

previously known by the algorithm that processes this information.

Figure 3 – Design of the tracker using the wiimote

Source: http://graphics.cs.ucdavis.edu/~okreylos/ResDev/Wiimote/index.html

In Figure 3 it is illustrated the use of glasses for stereoscopy and the position of the Wiimote.

In addition to this platform, cameras and other Wiimotes can be used to track the position of

the arms of the electrician to check, for example, safety distances. Alternatively, other

devices, such as joysticks and 3D mouse (Space Navigator13), can also be used.

13 http://www.3dconnexion.com/3dmouse/spacenavigator.php


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Figure 3 – Illustration of platform

A relevant aspect in terms of immersion is the reproduction of conditions which the

electrician faces during the activity. In practice, besides using the IPEs that are heavy and not

very comfortable, the electrician has limited mobility due to its insulated basket which they

use to perform the task. The insulated basket confines the movements, as well as moves and

swings. The purpose of the structure shown in Figure 1 is to replicate the aforementioned

conditions and, thus, increase the immersion level to which the user is subject.

7 Conclusion

This work reports the development of a platform based on semi-immersive VR for training on

live-line maintenance of power distribution networks. VR technology issues and concepts are

described, and the development of an interactive 3D graphics system is presented, together

with its functional model and its software framework. Various aspects regarding the selection

of the development framework are also discussed. Practical results and benefits to the training

process provided by the comprehensive VR platform described here have not yet been

assessed but show to be promising.

8 Acknowledgments

This project is sponsored by the Brazilian Agency for Electric Energy – ANEEL R&D

programme.

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[3] EMBRAER, Site Oficial. Disponível em: <http://www.embraer.com.br>. Acessado em: 18 de Maio de 2009.

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Author(s):

Tiago Martinuzzi Buriol, PhD Student

Universidade Federal do Paraná, Department of Numerical Methods in Engineering

Centro Politécnico CESEC - Jd Américas CEP 81531-990 - Curitiba – Paraná- Brazil

[email protected]

Matheus Rosendo, Master Student

Universidade Federal do Paraná, Department of Informatics

Centro Politécnico DInf- Jd Américas CEP 81531-990 - Curitiba – Paraná- Brazil

[email protected]

Klaus de Geus, PhD

COPEL - Companhia Paranaense de Energia

José Izidoro Biazetto, 158, Mossunguê CEP 81200-240 - Curitiba – Paraná- Brazil Brazil

[email protected]

Sérgio Scheer, PhD

Universidade Federal do Paraná, Department of Civil Engineering

Centro Politécnico CESEC - Jd Américas CEP 81531-990 - Curitiba – Paraná- Brazil

[email protected]

Carlos Felsky, Master Student

LACTEC – Intituto de Tecnologia para o Desenvolvimento

Centro Politécnico da UFPR, Jd Américas CEP 81531-980 - Curitiba – Paraná- Brazil

[email protected]

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A Virtual Reality Training Platform for Live Line Maintenance of Power Distribution Networks

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