Alstom Enters the World of Virtual Reality

Discovering the wow factor on the Alstom stand at the Hannover Fair

ALSTOM Power is inviting its customers and potential customers to enter the world of virtual reality quite literally. Since discovering the wow factor that 3D stereoscopic viewing brings, Alstom has commissioned a model of the globe and selected power plants from leading VR company, Virtalis. Viewers are able to fly down from space toward flags marking the sites of Alstom power stations around the world.

Nicolas Gutron, Change & Communications - multimedia co-ordinator for Alstom Power Systems, commented: “So far we have shown our VR presentation at just half a dozen international exhibitions and the response was so enthusiastic that we have decided to commission further virtual power plants from Virtalis allowing us to showcase a wider range of our technology. At Power-Gen India and Hannover Fair, the response was so intense that even after six presentations back to back there were still people queuing to see our power plants in 3D. Our research has shown that the use of VR is good for our brand and that once seen, people remember our presentations more than those of our competitors.”

3D stereoscopic viewing from Virtalis means that viewers are able to fly down from space toward flags marking the sites of Alstom power stations around the world As the viewers watch, they fly down into a highly detailed landscape. They then watch as the power station builds itself up from the ground drawing on the plant’s original CAD data. Given the size and complexity of a power plant, these virtual models are among the biggest ever built by Virtalis. The audience is flown on an external and internal tour of both a Spanish combined cycle plant and the biggest coal power station in China. Unique technology is detached from the station as a whole and explored in more detail.