· Arjun Rai Gupta · Events · 3 min read
Field Trial at the Test- und Weiterbildungszentrum (TWK) Karlsruhe
During the leak-tightness testing and leak detection course at TWK Karlsruhe, four course participants and a TWK trainer solved the multiplayer leak detection scenario of the XR2ACH learning environment as a team — adding data from a third learning venue to the evaluation, after Leonberg and Neuwied.
On 5 October 2026, the InnoVET PLUS project XR2ACH visited the Test- und Weiterbildungszentrum Kälte-Klima-Wärmepumpen (TWK) Karlsruhe in Stutensee-Blankenloch. The field trial took place at the end of the first day of a two-day course on leak-tightness testing and leak detection — exactly the topic our leak detection scenario trains. On site were the Virtual Dimension Center (VDC) and Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA).
The course can be taken in two ways: on its own, to obtain the F-gas certificate in category E, or as the final module of a longer course leading to the full A1 certificate. The group was accordingly mixed — a valuable addition to the apprentices we have tested with so far.
Leak detection as a team, in two rounds
Four course participants took part, together with a TWK trainer who has only recently joined the project. In the first round, the trainer and two participants entered the multiplayer leak detection scenario together and solved the task jointly in a shared virtual room. The other two participants then worked through the same task together in a second room.
The build tested was the same one already used at the Bundesfachschule Kälte-Klima-Technik in Leonberg and at the David-Roentgen-Schule in Neuwied.
Three learning venues, one basis for evaluation
As in Leonberg and Neuwied, the participants then completed the project questionnaire. We now have responses from three different learning venues — vocational school, inter-company training and continuing professional education, with very different user groups and prior experience. Because the same build was tested at all three, the results can be compared well. This is a good basis for the further evaluation of the learning environment.
Plenty of ideas for new learning content
What we took away from the TWK was at least as valuable:
- A wide range of training rigs: The TWK has a number of very different training systems, showing how broad the range of real installations is on which technicians carry out leak-tightness tests.
- Ideas from the leak detection course: The course itself gave us many suggestions for additional learning content — for example on typical leak points at components and joints, which can be shown vividly in the virtual environment.
- Propane gas alarm system: With natural refrigerants such as propane in mind, we discussed ways to simulate a gas detection system that raises an alarm in the event of a propane leak.
A warm thank you to TWK Karlsruhe and to all course participants for their time, their openness and their valuable feedback!
