Building and Implementing an Economical Construction Equipment Simulator as a Virtual Reality Tool in the Classroom

Virtual reality is a growing technology topic within the construction industry. Virtual reality cannot only provide entertainment, but it can be used for educational learning and training sessions. One key component of virtual reality incorporated into training sessions focuses on the simulation aspects where the environmental around a person imitates close-to real life conditions. Virtual reality simulations can take on many different forms such as a game, role-play, or even a training activity. Virtual reality through the development of construction equipment simulators has been used to help train construction equipment operators. Yet, the affordability of these simulators may not be within the budget of a company or educational institution. This paper discusses the basic components of a construction equipment simulator and provides insights into how a more economical affordable simulator may be built for the use of educational purposes.