Educ8 Training
Revolutionising hairdresser training with Virtual Reality (VR)
Educ8 Training Group are a leading training provider in Wales, offering apprenticeships and work-based qualifications in a range of sectors, including leadership and management; health and social care; marketing, and project management. Educ8 approached us with a desire to explore ways of enhancing their existing training methods with innovative technology.
Educ8’s vision was clear and ambitious: to improve the way learners retain information and make the actual training process safer by eliminating the need to use the real-world dyes, bleaches and chemicals used in hairdressing salons.
To cope with the complexities involved in having trainees practice on real clients, and given the step-by-step, procedural nature of the hair-dyeing process, we proposed and agreed on an exciting project: developing accurate VR-based training scenarios for dyeing hair in a hair salon.
What did we do?
We created a virtual hair salon that trainees step into with the aid of a VR headset. They are then guided through all the steps in the process of dyeing the hair of a virtual test subject, while the simulation records their actions throughout the process. At the end of the simulation, each trainee receives personalised feedback regarding how well they performed.
This novel approach ensures the learners train without fear of causing injury to a client; they can see what the consequences could be of getting a step wrong and learn from their mistakes as well as their successes.
We developed five unique test clients for learners to work on, which allowed us to explore some of the real-world circumstances and situations that hairdressers deal with every day, and because the whole scenario is digital, there are no paper exams or worksheets for the learners to contend with; the whole training and assessment takes place in VR.
The completed scenario allows learners to practice critical safety protocols such as the use of safety equipment, as well as experimenting with different bleach and dye ratios. The learners can see the kinds of potential hair damage that could result from failing to follow the hair dyeing process correctly.
How did we do it?
We used the Unity game engine to build the virtual salon and to handle all the custom logic around the hair dye process and the recording of the training assessments. We targeted the Oculus VR headset to keep hardware costs to a reasonable level.
The training environment had to feel reasonably realistic, but we also had to balance that with the processing power of the VR headset. We ultimately settled on a stylised, semi-realistic graphical style that helped the learner immerse themselves in the virtual salon and the tools they had to use without compromising performance.
The biggest challenge we had was dealing with the physics for hair strands in the simulation, but we solved it with some creative use of Unity’s built-in cloth physics. We designed the simulation framework to be extensible: allowing for additional clients for the learners to practice on, as well as the potential for additional training scenarios beyond hair dyeing.
The results of this VR training project were successful, and Educ8 has been integrating this for new learners since August 2023. We anticipate that this tool will surpass traditional video training, greatly enhancing the teaching and shadowing experience.
To learn more about their latest work, visit Educ8’s website or follow them via X (fka Twitter) or LinkedIn.
