Umeå-based company Oryx is a world-leading supplier of educational simulators for heavy vehicles. Through a close collaboration between university scientists and large companies such as ABB, Valmet and Volvo they deliver learning platforms to a growing world market.
The demand means that the company has had to hire more developers. Only last week they hired three students from the civil engineering programs for computing science and engineering physics.
Educational simulators
Oryx’s business idea is to, based on advanced calculation technique, create simulations that can be used in training crane operators in a dock, logging machine operators, or operators of heavy digging machinery.
In Sweden, training operators of heavy vehicles often takes place at high schools that have purchased their own educational simulators. In other countries it can be big training academies that are in charge of training. Big docks often have their own schools where they train their personnel.
Johan Granström, Oryx, believes that with educational simulators they can offer students training to become machine operators a safer environment and quicker way to learn.
Substantial educational benefits
You achieve substantial educational benefits with the simulators, according to Oryx’s Johan Granström.
“Every year the Swedish Championship in Machine Operating takes place. One year, a participant who had only practiced in the simulator entered the contest. He had never been in a real truck crane. But he still won the contest, and that says a lot about how educationally beneficial the simulator is”, says Johan Granström and laughs.
Johan Granström says that the learning curve in an Oryx simulator is also a lot faster than training an operator in a real environment only.
Safer training environment
Johan Granström says: “When you get in a real machine and you’re a complete beginner there is a natural fear of tipping the machine over or breaking something. That makes you cautious. But in the simulator you can disconnect from the disruptions and focus on learning how to maneuver your vehicle. That makes for a quicker learning process.”
“Safety is another important aspect. In the simulator, the instructor can expose the student to dangerous and risky situations that you would normally not want to expose your students to. In the simulator they can instead learn how to handle these kinds of dangerous situations. He also explains that TYA, a joint committee for employers and employee organizations in the transport sector, has an operator’s test where one of the three tests can now be taken in a simulator. That’s how realistic they think the environment in the simulators is.
Oryx does not have any instructors of their own, but they have pilot clients in the form of schools who take part in developing and evaluating the products. They also get constant feedback from drivers using the simulators. This feedback is crucial in developing the products, Johan Granström stresses.
Better environment with simulators
Apart from the educational benefits the training simulators also have environmental advantages.
“If you estimate 40 hours of training for all students in one single grade at all the schools who train operators across the country, that adds up to many hours when the vehicles and machines run their engines”, says Johan Granström.
“The exhaust fumes they emit can be completely avoided with the simulators”, Johan Granström adds, before he needs to break off the interview to attend to a group of constructors who are remodeling the premises.
“We keep growing all the time. I think we remodel and add extensions every year”, says Johan Granström with a smile.
Keen interest when Volvo Construction demonstrates an Oryx simulator at the Intermat fair in Paris, France. Photo: Oryx Simulations.
