Method of Reducing Energy Consumption during Forklift Operator Training in Cargo Terminals Utilizing Virtual Reality

In the era of shrinking resources of traditional fossil fuels and the increasingly dominant sustainable development policy, actions are taken to reduce energy consumption as much as possible, assuming that we achieve identical operational goals. These activities are apparent in the industries with the most significant energy demand, i.e., the aviation industry. To achieve this, these industries implement modern technologies in all possible areas of operation. One of these areas is the area of operator training, especially the most energy-consuming devices and types of equipment. This article investigated the potential of virtual reality (VR) technology for energy optimization of forklift operating training in airport cargo terminals. The authors propose a method whose practical implementation in one of the cargo terminals reduced energy consumption by several times while training forklift operators. The added value is that the method is universal and, after appropriate modification, can be used to train operators of other devices. The study compared traditional training methods with a VR-based training approach, assessing their impact on energy consumption and overall efficiency of forklift operations in airport cargo terminals. The results prove that VR technology training can significantly reduce energy consumption while improving operational efficiency and can offer a sustainable and effective training solution for the entire logistics sector.