From the Editor

William Craske Editor

Reality Bites

In the cyclical eventuation of all things, differing versions of reality are proving at once cause, symptom and antidote to supply chain challenges and solutions. Mass adoption of augmented reality in which computer-simulation of a three-dimensional environment such as in ecommerce environments through mobile devices blending digital components with real world imagery has helped create a showrooming experience to significantly increase online conversions. The flow-on effect has in turn delivered a profligacy of commercial vehicles across urban environments. It’s the physical manifestation heard, seen and often smelled in direct response to the consumer demand inherent in the growth model of our economy. At the same time augmented reality or AR is having a profound influence on the logistics sector by alleviating stress time across warehousing so that learning curves among part time workers are drastically reduced through digital overlays on boxes to identify contents for faster pick-andpack, itself a long sought after gain in the retailer crusade to provide best last mile delivery. Despite the advent of bigger and more efficient vehicles in this space, more sales equals more units, which determines greater commercial vehicles sharing congested roads with drivers, some of them inexperienced and distracted. More than 80 per cent of truck drivers, according to data compiled by Teletrac Navman, report working more than 50 hours a week, and 20 per cent admit to breaking safety rules in order to meet deadlines. Add to that sprawling urbanisation including the challenge of heavy traffic for longer periods and safety campaigns for educating new and young drivers around commercial vehicles should be mandatory practice. It’s here that artificial, computergenerated simulation of a threedimensional environment, commonly known as virtual reality, has its own role to play. Deakin University in Bendigo has recently established a new awareness campaign #GetTruckWise to help younger drivers realise that it is critical to reduce risks for all road users when sharing busy roads with heavy vehicles. The same albeit always relevant messaging surrounding truck blind spots, spatial awareness for larger turning circles and considerations for extra distances to allow trucks to brake have been integrated into Deakin’s CADET Virtual Reality Lab, an immersive 360 degree video evoking real-life scenarios to educate young drivers and improve their hazard awareness in their encounters with heavy vehicles. The process serves also to help young drivers gain more empathy for sharing arterials with truck drivers and emphasise the importance of not taking risks before things get too real.

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