Hazard Identification Training Using 360-Degree Panorama vs. Virtual Reality Techniques: A Pilot Study

Virtual reality ( VR)-based approaches have been used to facilitate safety knowledge transfer and increase hazard awareness by providing safe and controlled experiences of unsafe scenarios for construction safety training applications. However, high computational costs, long development times, and the limited sense of presence and realism associated with existing VR methods have posed significant challenges for using such VR-based safety training platforms. Unlike the VR environments that provide computer-generated simulations of the environment, 360-degree panoramas create true-to-reality simulations of environments while maintaining a high sense of presence. The purpose of this research is to develop and compare hazard identification training scenarios using 360-degree panorama and VR techniques. A pilot study, based on OSHA's focus-four hazards, was conducted to assess the effectiveness of safety hazard identification training using these techniques. The results of this preliminary research indicate that hazard identification index scores were slightly higher on average in the VR condition comparing to the "messier" or "dirtier" as-build representation of the 360-degree panorama.