For example, Duke Energy nuclear workers are using indoor drones to perform inspections in confined spaces. Indoor drones provide a way for our nuclear workers to perform tasks more efficiently and safely. One application where greater attention to detail and dexterity are necessary is in the emerging use of drones in the nuclear industry. Workers with greater attention abilities in complex environments seem to be tailor made for the nuclear industry. While this is a benefit in games, researchers suggest these findings may also extend beyond the screen into the real world. What some studies are beginning to show is that certain types of first-person video games help improve the attention of players and help individuals become more adept at filtering out unneeded information in completing whatever task is at hand. It’s an opportune time to be a gamer entering the workforce.Īny casual player knows that engaging in a video game requires attention. As this practice becomes more and more common, the need for workers already adept at exploring digital worlds only grows. That familiarity can lead to more efficient and safer work when they head into the field. Likewise, in preparing for a job in this area, a person who has never ventured into the reactor building can orient him or herself to the environment. With this technology, people can walk into the reactor building virtually and complete some tasks without even leaving the office. Without experiencing this in virtual reality, workers would have to don layers of protective gear to enter certain areas for tasks as simple as taking measurements. For our nuclear plants, the technology of virtual reality is further enhancing the training of our nuclear professionals.ĭuke Energy’s metrology group uses laser equipment to image plant systems and components, allowing them to capture the interior of hard to access locations, such as the reactor building, in a virtual environment. Like a gamer playing a video game, the controllers operating the robots have to respond to what they are seeing when maneuvering the robot.Īnother benefit of the video game culture in the nuclear industry is its application to training. These canisters are robust containers for storing nuclear fuel after it has been removed from used fuel pools. One such application is robots inspecting dry fuel storage cannisters. These same coordination skills are needed within many positions at Duke Energy.įor example, robots have proven their worth in the nuclear industry for strengthening personal and operational safety. This is no surprise, since accomplishing a task in a game requires players to exercise fine motor skills (slight hand movements) at the controls to respond to what they see and hear onscreen. For future nuclear professionals, some of the very same skills you develop playing video games can be put to work in nuclear plants.Ĭurrent research shows there are some cognitive benefits from playing video games, such as improved hand-eye coordination. With so many gamers in America, there are sure to be gamers who have “day jobs” working in nuclear plants.
#Nuclear power plant games software
There are approximately 166 million people in the United States who play video games, according to the Entertainment Software Association.