Technology Corridor

Virtual reality comes of age in the power industry.

Technological breakthroughs in power generation, pollution control, waste management, renewable resource applications, and many similar areas are at the forefront of advances in developing, managing, and delivering public utility products. However, technology that is more often associated with computer games and Hollywood blockbusters is taking hold in the industry, and its impact may well be as great as any of the more well known technologies.

Virtual reality, or as many people prefer to call it, visual simulation (VizSim), is the use of computers to create interactive simulations that run in real time and are represented by reactive, 3-D graphics. Doom and John Madden Football are two popular games that make use of VizSim to create a virtual 3-D world in which players do their best to wreak havoc. The same technology that makes those games so engrossing is being applied to management and operations in public utilities, exploration of energy sources, and security training in many industries .

VizSim in the Public Utilities Business

Public utilities management tends to stay away from flashy, unproven technology, and though there were many demonstrations of potential utility applications of VizSim in the mid to late '90s, very few actually got a foothold in the industry. However, as the technology matured, and as developers realized that flashiness is trumped by return on investment, practical applications gained acceptance.