The SafeXtend consortium is developing an innovative platform that leverages the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR) to completely reimagine the training of construction workers.
The platform enables users to undertake their training in a bespoke VR environment, removing the exposure to real-world risks that can occur when training takes on place on construction sites. SafeXtend offers the flexibility to train construction personnel at all stages of their career, from being a new entrant to the industry, through upskilling to acquire new capabilities and re-skilling if returning to construction or requiring a knowledge re-fresh. The platform also has the ability to adapt and respond to the individual trainee’s interactions, providing valuable one-to-one feedback to improve their performance.
The technology behind SafeXtend builds on that of the earlier Innovate UK funded projects SafeSite and SafeSite2, which focused on the feasibility of infrastructure health and safety training for the offshore wind industry, broadening and adapting it to meets the needs of construction. SafeXtend consortium partners V-LAB and Tricore Technical Services were also in the consortia for SafeSite and SafeSite2.
The SafeXtend project also seeks to generate impacts that can contribute to governmental and social aims by offering a solution to both improve productivity on construction sites as well as mitigate the risk of accidents. Projections for the fully deployed SafeXtend platform include enabling construction employers to reduce training times by an estimated 35%, which could free up over 100million worker hours by 2030 for additional projects, thereby increasing productivity, freeing up additional resource and contributing to cost savings.