Ding Aiping, Zhang Di, Xu X George
Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Tibbits Avenue, Troy, NY 12180, USA.
Health Phys. 2009 May;96(5):594-601. doi: 10.1097/01.HP.0000343165.50464.ef.
This paper describes the development of a software package, called VR Dose Simulator, which aims to provide interactive radiation safety and ALARA training to radiation workers using virtual-reality (VR) simulations. Combined with a pre-calculated effective dose equivalent (EDE) database, a virtual radiation environment was constructed in VR authoring software, EON Studio, using 3-D models of a real nuclear power plant building. Models of avatars representing two workers were adopted with arms and legs of the avatar being controlled in the software to simulate walking and other postures. Collision detection algorithms were developed for various parts of the 3-D power plant building and avatars to confine the avatars to certain regions of the virtual environment. Ten different camera viewpoints were assigned to conveniently cover the entire virtual scenery in different viewing angles. A user can control the avatar to carry out radiological engineering tasks using two modes of avatar navigation. A user can also specify two types of radiation source: Cs and Co. The location of the avatar inside the virtual environment during the course of the avatar's movement is linked to the EDE database. The accumulative dose is calculated and displayed on the screen in real-time. Based on the final accumulated dose and the completion status of all virtual tasks, a score is given to evaluate the performance of the user. The paper concludes that VR-based simulation technologies are interactive and engaging, thus potentially useful in improving the quality of radiation safety training. The paper also summarizes several challenges: more streamlined data conversion, realistic avatar movement and posture, more intuitive implementation of the data communication between EON Studio and VB.NET, and more versatile utilization of EDE data such as a source near the body, etc., all of which needs to be addressed in future efforts to develop this type of software.
本文介绍了一个名为VR剂量模拟器的软件包的开发情况，该软件包旨在通过虚拟现实（VR）模拟为辐射工作人员提供交互式辐射安全和最优化防护及剂量率评估培训。结合预先计算的有效剂量当量（EDE）数据库，利用真实核电站建筑的三维模型，在VR创作软件EON Studio中构建了一个虚拟辐射环境。采用了代表两名工作人员的化身模型，其手臂和腿部在软件中可被控制，以模拟行走和其他姿势。针对三维核电站建筑和化身的各个部分开发了碰撞检测算法，将化身限制在虚拟环境的特定区域内。分配了十个不同的摄像头视角，以便从不同视角方便地覆盖整个虚拟场景。用户可以使用两种化身导航模式控制化身执行放射工程任务。用户还可以指定两种辐射源：铯和钴。化身在虚拟环境中移动过程中的位置与EDE数据库相关联。实时计算累积剂量并显示在屏幕上。根据最终累积剂量和所有虚拟任务的完成状态，给出分数以评估用户的表现。本文得出结论，基于VR的模拟技术具有交互性和吸引力，因此在提高辐射安全培训质量方面可能很有用。本文还总结了几个挑战：更简化的数据转换、逼真的化身移动和姿势、EON Studio与VB.NET之间数据通信的更直观实现，以及EDE数据的更广泛利用，如靠近身体的源等，所有这些都需要在未来开发此类软件的工作中加以解决。
