28 May 2026
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Mike Boland
AWE Talks: Building a Playbook for XR in Construction
Welcome back to AWE Talks, our series that revisits the best AWE conference sessions. With AWE USA right around the corner, we still have a big library of relevant session footage from the past year to build anticipation for this year's big show.
We continue the action this week with a look at one of enterprise VR's most successful use cases to date: immersive training. How is it specifically producing results in construction, and what are best practices for making it work?
See the summarized takeaways below, along with the full session video. Stay tuned for more video highlights each week and check out the full library of conference sessions on AWE’s YouTube Channel.
Speakers
Thomas SMITS - Heijmans
Bert WEEDA - HeijmansHERE
Key Takeaways & Analysis
- Immersive training has proven to be more effective than traditional methods.
- This is due to its ability to boost memory recall through experiential learning.
- Beyond efficacy, it can be cost-efficient compared to physical training seminars.
- All of this applies to the construction vertical, where some benefits are amplified
- For example, physical-world training can be dangerous, given heavy equipment.
- VR offers simulated training that offers a combination of safety and effectiveness.
- But to achieve these benefits requires best practices in deploying VR training programs.
- For example, construction workers aren't often tech savvy and are averse to VR.
- So gaining their trust and interest should be done in the initial stages of any program.
- This can be done with non-training modules that demonstrate VR's immersive power.
- One example is Riche's Plank VR experience that gets their attention and interest.
- Another best practice is to have training modules structured around narratives.
- This makes it easy to follow and avoids users getting distracted or lost in virtual settings.
- Also use intuitive and simple UX and UI inputs, such as one or two buttons.
- And to simulate accidents for safety training, the virtual environment has to be interactive.
- These are just a few dynamics around VR training in construction... more will evolve.
For more color and depth, see the full session below...
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