The company can now offer a degree of training effectiveness not previously available to underground coal mining operations, according to its business unit manager Richard Beesley.

"Until now, there has been no training solution on the market that fully addresses the unique training requirements for underground coal equipment operators,” he said.

“These new products highlight our ongoing approach to invest in driving customer safety and profitability though our industry leading technology and extensive mining experience."

The simulators provide an authentic and comprehensive re-creation of an underground coal mining work environment, according to the company.

Beesley, an experienced roof bolter operator, said: "The expanded product line is the result of intense research and development drawing from Original Equipment Manufacturers, industry best practices, subject matter experts and safety requirements specific to the underground coal mining industry."

Through Immersive Technologies’ RealMove natural movement system, the operator can naturally walk around the 3D virtual environment to avoid hazards or perform a full walk around of the machine.

This is a key feature for remote machine operators where awareness of ones surroundings can be the difference between life and death, Beesley said.

"The ability to train operators to react correctly during potentially life threatening situations is invaluable in underground mining,” he said.

“Many dangerous situations rarely take place so training operators to understand proper protocol in a safe environment is essential for underground operations."

The new machines operate on the CM360 Advanced Equipment Simulator. The CM360 utilizes the full 360 degree visual experience recognizing the distinct operating conditions of the underground mining environment. It features an entirely removable motion platform to permit both seated and remote operated simulation from within the one platform.

Particular care and attention to detail has been put into the visuals for these machines, setting new standards in 3D graphical machine models for mining simulations.