“The anchor winch’s speed is unstable; immediate emergency response is required…” Recently, the Naval Officer Academy organized a live scenario training session for handling special situations. In the face of an unexpected fault simulated by an intelligent training system, student Zhou Jinfa responded calmly and executed a series of operations with precision. This scenario is a microcosm of the academy’s efforts to create a virtual simulation training platform and leverage technological means to enhance training effectiveness.

According to the school leaders, in the past, in order to accurately simulate the complex mechanical and electrical failures that naval personnel might encounter, some courses relied heavily on actual equipment and practice. When faced with special situations that closely resemble actual combat scenarios, some trainees were prone to making mistakes due to excessive stress, which could result in damage to the equipment.

Zhang Songtao, head of a particular course and instructor, said that there was a period when students repeatedly made mistakes during class, causing damage to the motors. Since then, he has been pondering: How can we ensure the safety of the equipment while maintaining the training standards and difficulty level, and effectively refining the students’ practical skills?

With strong support from the school, Zhang Songtao led the teaching team members to work closely with frontline units, systematically analyzing data on high-frequency, high-risk, and high-difficulty faults in naval vessel electrical equipment. In collaboration with equipment manufacturers and research institutions, they pooled their collective expertise to successfully develop the “Electrical Fault Virtual Simulation Training Platform.”

“The simulation training platform is not just a simple ‘electronic teaching aid’; it is an intelligent training system that is deeply integrated into the entire chain of special situation handling instruction.” Zhang Songtao explained. The platform can precisely simulate the dynamic changes in current and voltage of a real electrical system. For every step of operation performed by the trainees in the virtual environment, the system provides real-time feedback and effect assessments. Through the system’s feedback, trainees can gain a tangible understanding of the cascading effects of parameter adjustments and gain a deep insight into the mechanisms of fault occurrence and the logic of handling them.

It is reported that this platform can accurately replicate the majority of typical fault scenarios for naval vessel electrical equipment. The system features a three-tiered progressive assessment model consisting of “principle recognition,” “operation training,” and “comprehensive handling.” After students successfully “beat” each level of the challenges, they will receive a “ticket” to perform actual operations. This rigid constraint of “not allowing passage until meeting the standards” forces students to refine their operation details repeatedly until they develop “muscle memory.”

When Lu Qi-quan, a trainee, first participated in the platform’s trial training, an incorrect setting of electrical parameters caused the screen to flash a fault alert indicator instantly, causing him some initial confusion. After undergoing some period of adaptive training, his mental resilience was effectively honed, and he is now able to handle various unexpected situations with composure. “After each ‘fall into a pit,’ I would repeatedly practice the same subject on the simulation platform, using the system’s automatically generated ‘operation diagnosis report’ to make targeted improvements to my operating methods and correct habitual actions,” Lu Qi-quan remarked with deep appreciation about his training experiences.

“‘Hybrid reality and simulation, training and combat integrated’ teaching models have laid a ‘rapid growth path’ for trainees,” explained the school leaders. They plan to continuously optimize the “Electrical Fault Virtual Simulation Training Platform” and upgrade it to a “Ship Integrated Virtual Training Platform” that covers systems such as propulsion, electrical power, damage control, and auxiliary equipment. This will create a comprehensive training network that encompasses all positions in mechanical and electrical operations, forming a training loop that includes “automatic generation of faults,” “intelligent simulation,” and “dynamic feedback.” (Looking into the New Era)