The Raymond Corporation’s Virtual Reality Simulator has won the MHI Innovation Award for Best New Innovation. The Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator is a next-generation tool for lift truck operator learning that provides advanced, hands-on instruction that is designed to improve operator skills, build confidence, help retain employees and keep them learning.

The MHI Innovation Award serves to educate and provide insights on the latest manufacturing and supply chain products and services. For this year’s award, five judges, composed of material handling and supply chain industry professionals, voted on more than 100 product submissions and four finalists were chosen in each category — best new innovation, best innovation of an existing product and best IT innovation — based on concept, value and impact. 

The MHI Innovation Award winners were announced during the MHI Industry Night on Wednesday, April 11, at MODEX 2018. 

“To attract new talent to the industry and rapidly reach high proficiency levels, the Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator ensures lift truck operators are coached quickly and confidently — all before reaching the warehouse floor,” said Michael Field, CEO, Raymond. “Innovations like this exemplify our commitment to keeping customers running better and managing smarter and planning for our future customer needs while increasing a business’ productivity and efficiency.”

The Raymond Virtual Reality Simulator is the first of a kind to allow an operator to enter a simulated warehousing environment using an existingRaymond^® forklift by plugging into the company’s patent-pending sPort, or Simulation Port. After the vehicle is no longer needed for instruction, the sPort can be disconnected, and the forklift can be placed back into operation in the warehouse. Leveraging existing Raymond assets in a warehouse or distribution center’s fleet eliminates the need to purchase or store purpose-built training trucks.