Towards the Development of a 3D Serious Game for Training in Power Network Maintenance

Some activities related to the maintenance of power distribution networks can be performed without interrupting the flow of energy on the line. This kind of activity, referred to as "live line maintenance", imposes risks which have to be taken into account, especially those which may affect human lives. Thus, the training process is crucial to the safety of electricians and to the success of maintenance operations. In order to address these issues, a virtual environment can be used as a mechanism for improving knowledge acquisition and retention, enhancing the quality of the learning process during training. This paper discusses the development of a serious game for training of live line maintenance activities. Aspects of the developed software, its characteristics and functional model, in addition to the interactive devices adopted and technical strategies are presented. The goal is to describe an unprecedented platform which uses devices such as the Nintendo Wii Remote and 3D TV sets to provide a novel model of interaction and navigation. These models are based on some principles of pervasive computing.