Scoring a worker's skills can often feel like a high-stakes guessing game for employers. Traditional assessments typically require an experienced instructor's supervision, which might not accurately gauge the employee's ability, particularly in sophisticated and hazardous environments such as manufacturing plants, chemical refineries, and well sites. Furthermore, visiting several assessment facilities to earn necessary certifications for varied job roles can be tedious for workers. The Saudi Arabian Oil Company has proposed to tackle this issue head-on, as outlined in the recently published patent US20230306350A1.
This novel approach is all about verifying performance-based assessments through virtual reality (VR) sessions. It replaces traditional, possibly cumbersome, assessment methods with a streamlined VR system. Just imagine a test candidate fully engrossed in a virtual simulation, interacting with virtual equipment used for gas operations, refining processes, safety protocols, and maintenance procedures.
How does it work? The patented approach leverages VR to create an immersive simulated workplace, mimicking various job scenarios from a plethora of fields. On acquiring access permissions, the system creates a VR space based on the specific assessment required. It generates avatars for the assessor and the test candidate, thereby enabling a comprehensive evaluation without geographic restrictions. The candidate's score is generated based on system-determined metrics and evaluator feedback. This system adapts itself to different user requirements and assessment types in an advanced way.
Replacing real-world assessments with VR-based evaluations could substantially change the landscape of employee skill assessments. Take for example, a welder in the automotive industry. Instead of having to physically demonstrate their skills, risking injury or equipment damage, they could now do so in a virtual environment. This could allow for a greater number of assessments to be conducted simultaneously, minimizing time, and resources spent on each individual test.
Similarly, in the oil industry, detecting and fixing operational issues could be simulated accurately using this technology. Workers can demonstrate their expertise in identifying problems, executing safety protocols, and implementing operational changes without the risks associated with mishandling physical equipment.
As tremendous as these new opportunities may seem, it's crucial to realize that at this stage, US20230306350A1 is still just a patent. That means there's no certainty about when, or even if, this technology will make its way into the market. However, given the benefits it promises to deliver, it's worth keeping an eye on.
P.S. Remember, while the figures of the patent may give us a rough idea of how to use the invention, the specifics would entirely depend on the execution of the patent. And on that note, let’s be reminded that a patent does not necessarily translate into a product hitting the marketplace soon.