Application of Virtual Reality Technologies to the Simulation of Coal Miners´ Safety

This article establishes mine workers´ safety behaviors simulation system through combines virtual reality and mining safety production. The aim is to standardize safety behavior, improve the effectiveness of safety training and accordingly reduce the accidents´ occurrence in coal mine. The system is constructed by means of 3D building software. Then, an integrated development in the platform Virtools is done. Through the computer software and hardware equipment, the three-dimensional (3D) space including various natural entities and artificial entities of coal mine are simulated based coal mining stratum datum, tunnel datum and images, which enable workers to interact naturally with hypothesized entities. Besides, the system can simulate mine shaft environment, workers´ behaviors, and some accidents scene ambience (such as detonation, fire, smog and so on). With writings, sound explanation and background sound effect matched, the emulation effect is very good. Therefore, there is no doubt that the use of VR can make mine workers familiar with mine shaft environment, recognize dangerous sources, and standardize safety behaviors, and finally make behavior specification realized. The system first carries out the simulation of workers´ safety behaviors in coal mine production environment and has important application values.