NC West Virginia News

A researcher at West Virginia University is developing a training program using augmented reality headsets to enhance the safety of miners operating high-risk vehicles. The initiative, led by WVU mining engineer Deniz Tuncay, aims to improve operators' awareness of blind spots and hazard identification through advanced technology that projects these blind spots onto the trainee's environment.

The project is funded by over $173,500 from the U.S. Department of Labor Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants Program, which commemorates victims of mine disasters in Brookwood, Alabama, and Tallmansville, West Virginia. This funding supports training efforts to improve mine safety conditions.

Tuncay, an assistant professor at the WVU Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, highlighted that powered haulage has been the leading cause of fatal mining accidents in West Virginia for ten years. "West Virginia has experienced an average of nearly four fatalities per year over the past 10 years, the highest rate nationally," he said. He emphasized the need for training scenarios that are too dangerous or impossible to replicate in real life.

He explained that augmented reality allows trainees to interact with mobile equipment virtually and practice responding to hazards without risk. "For safety issues related to visibility, augmented reality training is ideal," Tuncay stated. "It can transform safety training and operational practices — and ultimately reduce fatalities and injuries in the mining industry."

Tuncay pointed out that while many miners are older than 45, most serious powered haulage accidents involve workers with less than a year of experience. Augmented reality helps visualize complex environments for these inexperienced miners as they develop situational awareness.

"Our primary targets for the trainings are miners with low experience," he noted. The program will be tested on WVU students who lack experience operating such machinery.

The simulations will be based on diagrams from sources like the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) showing blind areas for common surface mine equipment models. Tuncay will also enable operators to create customized diagrams for their equipment.

Recognizing shortcomings in conventional vocational training in high-risk settings like mining, Tuncay chose augmented reality as a safe platform for hazard recognition and response practice. He believes this technology enhances learning by allowing interaction with virtual environments replicating risky conditions.

"Augmented reality’s accessibility is growing as hardware costs drop," he said. "There’s already promising evidence from industries like manufacturing that augmented and virtual reality systems boost training efficiency and safety outcomes."

Tuncay collaborates with Vladislav Kecojevic and Amy McBrayer at WVU to develop modules featuring simulations alongside video narrations, quizzes, questionnaires, and data analytics tracking trainee progress. Tutorials will support trainers unfamiliar with this technology.

"These trainings will be tailored to specific challenges across different mining operations," Tuncay mentioned. WVU Mining Engineering plans to engage with more than 20 Appalachian mining companies to ensure alignment with industry needs.