First Steps in the Field! Collecting source materials for educational VR scenarios.

Camera.... Action!

After months of theoretical preparations, the time has come for practical action. As part of the "Immersive Future: Rail" project, we have started collecting source materials that will be used to create innovative VR scenarios for vocational school students!

In the Heart of the Railway Industry

Our workplace was the power plant in Radom, where Meltor company is constructing a railway siding. This is the perfect place to document the authentic work environment in the railway construction industry.

During our visit, we had the opportunity to familiarize ourselves with the construction site, which became our natural "recording studio." The construction site was bustling with life – everywhere you could hear the characteristic sounds of machines, and workers were performing their tasks with precision. It is precisely this authenticity that will be crucial for the immersive experiences we plan to create.

Meeting the Heroes of the Industry

One of the most important elements of our visit were conversations with employees. Thanks to a previously prepared interview scenario, we were able to conduct detailed conversations with a track supervisor and an excavator operator – two key figures at every railway construction site.

Our interview scenario was carefully developed to explore various aspects of work in the industry:

• Professional experience – how their careers began, what prompted them to choose this industry;

• Daily tasks – detailed description of a typical workday, tools and machines used;

• Motivations and challenges – what they like most about their work, what difficulties they face;

• Advice for young people – practical tips for future railway industry workers.

Collecting Visual Materials

Favorable weather allowed us to collect rich visual material. Using 360° technology, we documented various parts of the construction site, creating a complete picture of the work environment. Each photo is a future element of VR scenarios that will allow students to feel like real railway construction workers.

Cutting rail with a circular saw.

Building a Bridge Between Theory and Practice

The collected materials are much more than just technical documentation. These are real stories of people who create railway infrastructure in Poland on a daily basis. Thanks to their stories, students will be able to understand not only "how" specific tasks are performed, but also "why" this work is important and satisfying.

Particularly valuable will be fragments of interviews concerning the beginnings of professional careers. These authentic stories can become an inspiration for young people considering a career in the railway industry.

What's Next?

The materials collected in Radom are just the beginning of our work. In the coming weeks, we plan to return to the construction site to document subsequent stages of the investment implementation. We want to show students a complete picture of the railway siding construction process step by step.

In parallel, we are starting work on processing the collected materials. Interview recordings will be transcribed and analyzed to identify the most important threads for educational scenarios. Visual materials will undergo an optimization process, and the most interesting fragments will be incorporated into interactive VR environments.

Technology for Education

The "Immersive Future: Rail" project is an example of how modern technologies can revolutionize vocational education. Thanks to virtual reality, students will be able to "enter" a real construction site, learn about the specifics of work and talk to experienced employees – all without leaving the classroom.

Our first field experiences confirm that combining authentic source materials with VR technology capabilities can create a unique educational tool. Students will be able to not only see what work in the railway industry looks like, but also feel the atmosphere of a real construction site.

The project is co-financed by the European Union.