# Virtual Reality Training Application for the Condition-Based Maintenance of Induction Motors
Thus, the applicability and use of induction motors is so great that more than 90% of applications involved with electrical rotating machines are particularly related to the use of either squirrel-cage or wound rotor induction motors; for industrial applications, most are three-phase squirrel-cage induction motors [13; 14]. In this regard, it is estimated that approximately 68% of the energy consumption of industry worldwide is due to induction motors [15], and about 70% of energy consumption is related to induction motor usage in countries such as Brazil, Canada, USA, India and the European Union [16; 17]. In addition, its widespread use makes it necessary to understand the basis of its operational conditions as an essential aspect of any industrial training program, as well as in most engineering education curricula. Additionally, if induction motors are responsible for most of the energy consumption in the industry, the implementation of condition-based maintenance (CBM) programs aims to safeguard their operating condition and their availability. In this regard, there are several condition monitoring approaches that have been proposed over the last few decades to face the occurrence of unexpected faults that may compromise the efficiency of industrial processes and inevitable and excessive energy consumption [13]. Thus, most of the proposed CBM programs have been based on the analysis of different physical magnitudes, where the vibrations, stator current, torque, temperature, and sound remain the most preferable. Even though different signals may be considered, promising results have demonstrated that motor current signature analysis (MCSA) can successfully be used to detect fault occurrences effectively within induction motors [14]. The MCSA is based on the analysis of current signatures by means of different techniques such as fast Fourier transform (FFT), instantaneous power FFT, demodulated current spectrum, wavelet analysis, and [PERSON]'s vector approach, among others [15]. Furthermore, the MCSA is one of the most well-known diagnostic approaches in the field of condition assessment applied to induction motors. In fact, it is of proven effectiveness, as malfunctional operating conditions can be detected with this approach, such as broken rotor bars which lead to high temperatures, stator faults due to opening or shorted coils, abnormal connections in the stator winding, bent shafts that produce dynamic eccentricity, and bearing defects and gearbox faults that are coupled to the induction motor under inspection [14; 15; 16]. The practical implementation of MCSA may represent a complicated task because knowledge related to different areas must be acquired and merged in a practical way. Thus, this drawback is very critical when training new maintenance technicians; it becomes even more critical when data of real experimental test benches and virtual reality tools are not available during the training process. The contribution of this work focuses on the design and development of a VR-based application for teaching and training in the field of induction motor condition-based maintenance. The novelty of this work relies on:  
1. Its ability to fill the existing gap in traditional training thanks to the great advantages offered by state-of-the-art virtual reality devices, such as a great cost-effectiveness, reduced learning times, improved visualization, the ability to understand and develop skills in a risk-free environment as well as the ability to allow the user to interact with the environment in a natural way;
2. The strong link it establishes between the theoretical basis and practice related to the condition-based maintenance of induction motors by means of a VR application as a complementary experimental tool;
3. Its capacity to provide a model for the design and development of an effective VR application, as recent advances in VR technology still show limitations in natural interactions and high development costs. In addition, this application is available for download and open use.