As more and more Oregon gas pumping jokes pour in, the VR industry takes its own light jab at the “game-changing” new law.
If you’ve been paying any attention to the news lately, you’ve probably heard about a new law in Oregon allowing drivers to self-pump their vehicles for the first time in decades. Previously, each gas station located in the Pacific Northwest state required an official attendant to pump gas for customers.
Now drivers in rural Oregon counties with less than 40,000 residents are being tasked with servicing themselves, and the results have been, well, interesting.
Obviously the picture above represents a very small majority of Oregonians new to pumping their own gas, but the new law is actually proving to be a headache for some residents who are having a tough time handling the new responsibility. Fear not though Oregonians, because for every odd activity that needs training and instruction, there’s an equally bizarre VR application there to educate you. This of course includes filling up your automobile.
Brought to you by PIXO Group, a software developer specializing in VR training simulations, Virtual Reality Gas Pump Training is a new “tool” supposedly designed to, well, help you pump gas. According to PIXO, by providing randomized virtual scenarios that could occur while at the pump, Oregonians can prepare themselves for a variety of potential issues and dangers from handling accidental spillage, to managing children located inside the car while simultaneously filling up your vehicle. You can even learn the practical skill of fending off would-be attackers with just a gas pump. You know, just your everyday gas station shenanigans.
Unfortunately for anyone looking to take advantage of this “specialized” training program, there doesn’t appear to be a download or release date available as of yet. Regardless of whether or not this is a an actual project, PIXO Group is a very real company dedicated to the development of legitimate VR training programs.
The Michigan-based software recently premiered its VR training programs for emergency management and first response teams at the Concordia University Summit this past November, where it joined four other companies in demoing their VR-based training projects.
“The value of virtual reality training, such as PIXO’s, is that it exposes participants to immersive experiences without putting them in any danger. Our VR training modules are so realistic, users will feel like they’re really at the pump, so they can practice making good decisions under pressure, without the dangers of real-life gas pumping.”
