EDF Energy – Reactor Runner

Challenge

Create an interactive, engaging learning serious game that challenges learners to utilise the knowledge gained from the Fundamentals of Nuclear Power training content, combining competition, teamwork and effective communication whilst remaining to encompass the range of abilities of employees from across the business.

Use Case

Following on from the time saved from efficiencies of delivery around the learning content available on Android tablet device, Reactor Runner was designed to repurpose the tablets for further use as a nuclear power station control panel. By working together in teams of three, learners undertake one of three roles within the power station, each having specific actions and needs to operate their section efficiently. Utilising their freshly gained knowledge on nuclear power station components and their operation, the team carry out actions accordingly to match their output to the current market demand over a period of simulated 18 months.

Hardware

Reactor Runner re-purposed the Android tablets already deployed to deliver the learning materials, using the instructor tablet for team creation and game control, the projection tablet to display a central city split to represent each team colour / score / output, and three learner tablets per team to operate the nuclear power station from. Tablets were also most suitable for the interaction types, with buttons to be pressed and jellyfish to be dragged into virtual nets.

Test

User tests were carried for UX and gameplay balancing to ensure that the minimal interactions and actions to be carried out as each role within the power station correlated to the learning materials in an easy-to-use, obvious manner, whilst still providing a challenge to test the knowledge retention of the learners. This also included balancing of the scoring logic to ensure that a range of performances by teams was reflected fairly in regards to apparent ability and successes.

Build

The 2D Android tablet applications to run Reactor Runner were developed in Unity with the Android Studio to incorporate hardware features to add additional engagement features, such as taking a happy and sad selfie to represent real-time team performance on the central projected city screen. The instructor tablet was setup as network central control device, connecting the learner tablets to teams, in multiples of 3 devices detected at a time. 

Impact

After a successful deployment at Cannington Court and EDF Energy visitor centres, the multiplayer game was adapted into a staged single player experience, introducing each role across levels of difficulty until the final level saw users utilising all actions simultaneously as a super-user. This version was adapted to Windows-based PC and incorporated into bespoke arcade cabinets with physical control inputs for Glasgow Science Centre.