Scientists at South Africa’s University of Pretoria are giving students the chance to experience real-life mining accidents, minus the danger – the first of its kind in Africa.

The Kumba Virtual Reality Centre (VRC) provides students with the opportunity to participate in simulation and training, designed to prevent accidents and in turn, further reduce mining-related accident and fatality rates.

The VRC includes a mine design centre, a 3D stereoscopic theatre and a 10m-wide cylinder that offers a 360-degree experience, also in 3D. This allows researchers to reconstruct a range of mine incidents, while fully immersing students (with the help of 3D glasses) in a multi-sensory experience.

03 November 2015
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