Next Wave

How NextWave Safety Solutions delivers award-winning virtual reality safety videos thanks to Particle41

Next Wave

NextWave Safety Solutions, a leader in immersive safety training, partnered with Particle41 to develop award-winning virtual reality (VR) training content. Particle41 provided a dedicated team to create VR simulations for high-risk scenarios, enhancing worker training without real-world danger. The collaboration allows NextWave to scale its VR training content efficiently, producing interactive, sensory-rich 360-degree environments. This partnership increased productivity, won recognition at the 2022 VR Awards, and positioned NextWave for continued market growth.

Challenge

Revolutionizing Workplace Safety with Immersive Virtual Reality Training

NextWave Safety Solutions is a full-service safety training and risk management company with headquarters in the heart of the Manhattan Financial District. From large-scale construction sites to hospitals and warehouses, NextWave serves as unbiased, third-party oversight to help organizations and businesses run as efficiently and safely as possible. Part of that mission is delivering state-of-the-art training, including lifelike simulations where workers may learn and practice skills without risk and injury.

NextWave’s immersive training content includes replicating scenarios where work is dangerous and logistically expensive to recreate in the real world.

“Virtual reality training solutions are revolutionizing workplace training,” said Bradley Jefferson, NextWave’s Vice President, XR, Extended Reality. “We need a collaborative development partner to create what we envision quickly, allowing for scale, while keeping our development costs down and predictable in a rapidly disruptive technology space.”

NextWave partnered with Particle41 to help deliver that vision.

“We have a partnership with the Particle41 team that enables us to take on new capabilities and be more innovative. With them, we can explore potential life-saving solutions that currently don’t even exist. We’re able to produce innovative, immersive training experiences thanks to Particle41.”

— Bradley Jefferson, Vice President, XR, Extended Reality, NextWave Safety Solutions

Approach

Collaborative VR Content Development for Scalable, Realistic Training Solutions

Founded by industry veterans passionate about what they do, Particle41 commits a group of experienced developers and professionals to strengthen the internal teams of its clients. This made Particle41 the best choice for delivering NextWave’s virtual reality safety training content.

“Particle41 provided us with a team that includes a project manager, Unity engineers, and a quality assurance engineer for our ongoing content pipeline,” said Bradley. “After we consult with our clients about their training needs, we define the core and secondary learning objectives. Then we decide on the environments, multimedia assets, tasks, and interactions that map to those objectives. Those elements are then translated into design, sensory, and development requirements that are scheduled within two-week sprints.”

NextWave utilizes the Particle 41 team on multiple content work streams simultaneously. Furthermore, as the industry and technology constantly evolves, the team routinely researches new capabilities that may be leveraged for future solutions.

“The complexity of what we’re designing and building typically has a much longer life cycle than traditional mobile development. We are not just creating interfaces and quizzes. We are creating 360-degree worlds with visual, sound, and haptic effects,” said Bradley. “We’re able to produce these innovative, immersive training experiences thanks to Particle41.”

Results

Driving Innovation and Recognition in Safety Training with VR Technology

Increased Productivity

“With the Particle41 team in place, we can work on several projects simultaneously and leverage features from products that have already been delivered,” said Bradley. “That boosts our productivity.”

Award-Winning Software

“Our module on ladder safety—one of the modules of training created with the support of the Particle41 team—was recognized as a finalist at the 2022 VR Awards in the Educational and Training of the Year category,” said Bradley.

Projected Market Growth

“As long as our partnership with Particle41 continues to grow, and we keep our costs low and talent high, we expect a continuation of market growth in our space,” said Bradley.