Introduction
The 5DT Haul Truck Training Simulator teaches the trainee haul truck driver how to drive a large off-highway haul truck. It also teaches the trainee how to position the truck for loading (by e.g. a shovel or a wheeled loader) and how to position it for dumping, both at the ore crusher and at the waste dumping area. The trainee is also required to drive with reduced visibility (fog conditions and dust) and to drive at night.

Simulator Setup
The system consists of a mock-up cabin that is mounted on a motion base, in the midst of three large projection screens. The three screens (left, middle, right) provide the trainee with a wide field of view (approximately 180 degrees). This is the same out the window (OTW) view that a real driver would experience in a real truck. The mock-up cabin is equipped with controls and instruments that mimic real controls and instruments in a real truck. The motion base provides realistic motion cues to make the trainee feel as if he/she is driving a real truck.

Interchangeability
The mock-up cabin may easily be interchanged with mock-up cabins of other mining vehicles. The simulator hardware (computers, large projection screens and motion base) may therefore be used for several different 5DT Training Simulators.

Virtual Environment
The virtual haul truck is driven in a photo-realistic virtual environment that emulates reality very closely. The virtual surface mine emulates a real mine, with a dispatch station, service station, loading area, ore dumping area (ore crusher), waste dumping area and a road network. Realistic computer graphics (visual) models of entities like haul trucks, shovels, wheeled loaders, water cars and light delivery vehicles were also developed. These models do not only look like the real thing, but they also sound like the real thing - real sound recordings were used for this effect.
Performance Measurement
The instructor monitors the performance of the trainee. This is achieved by means of real-time graphs, reports and a record/playback module. The trainee is presented with a detailed, categorized report after each session. The record/playback module records the entire training session. The session can be played back for detail analysis and evaluation.

Team Training
The 5DT Surface Mining Training Simulators may be networked together. A Shovel Training Simulator may be networked with a Haul Truck Training Simulator so that two human operators, in two separate simulators, can work together to complete a task. The 5DT Simulators are 'Network-Ready', which means that it has been designed to function together and that it can be networked without any problems.

Conclusion
The 5DT Haul Truck Training Simulator is the closest thing to reality you can get! The main advantages offered by the simulator is that one does not have to "borrow" a production-capable truck for training, that the trainee cannot damage or destroy the virtual truck and that the trainee can be exposed to life-threatening conditions and situations without putting either the trainee or the truck at risk.

Shovel/Excavator Training Simulator
Dragline Training Simulator
Wheeled Loader Training Simulator
LongWall Training Simulator
Continuous Miner Training Simulator

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