Development of virtual reality based serious games for mining industry

Tools used for training in the mining industry have been changing with the development of technology. Traditional training tools such as written lecture notes and presentations have been being replaced by virtual reality (VR) applications and simulations which are relatively better at providing a better transferred information retention rate. Serious games, which are used for educational purposes in different fields around the world, have started to become an important tool as well. Although there are many simulations developed for mining, the number of serious games developed in the sector is fewer compared to the number of simulations. In this thesis, a virtual reality based serious game that can be used for mining education has been developed. After the necessary modelling and animations procedures were done using 3ds Max software, a virtual rock mechanics laboratory was prepared using Unity game engine. A uniaxial compressive strength test module and a hazard identification module which requires the hazards placed in the virtual lab to be identified and addressed using risk assessment steps were developed. In addition, using a 3D model of a mine and photographs taken from the mine, a virtual mine model was prepared within Unity environment and a navigable virtual mine environment was developed. Also, the method for creating virtual reality supported serious games using Unity game engine with the purpose of mine site identification, OHS training and improving hazard awareness in Turkey is presented. As a result of the study, it has been demonstrated that a small team of developers including field experts could develop serious games that could be used for different purposes in mining by using current and free software and models. It has also been demonstrated that the modules developed with the Unity game engine can be easily used in other virtual environments and thus other serious games can be developed quickly. Benefiting from the virtual reality support of Unity game engine, it has been shown that serious games developed can be easily used with VR support.