Real crane remotes meet virtual training
Premiered at BIEMH 2026, the leading international advanced manufacturing trade show held in Bilbao, March 2–6, 2026.
The challenge: training operators without real-world risk
Operating overhead cranes in industrial environments demands precision, experience, and a deep understanding of safety procedures. Until now, training operators inevitably required the use of real machinery — with all the associated costs and risks.
The enterprise XR platform, VIROO, has taken a new step forward by integrating a radio remote control by Danfoss Power Solutions, distributed by Iribarri Telecontrol, directly into its virtual reality infrastructure— allowing operators to train with their real tool inside a fully simulated world.
What is a wireless remote control, and what does it do?
The TM80 is Danfoss Power Solutions’ latest wireless remote-control platform for overhead cranes and lifting machinery, distributed by Iribarri Telecontrol.
These radio remotes are the physical interface between the operator and the crane: every movement — lifting, lowering, traversing, emergency stop — is transmitted wirelessly and safely from the handheld device to the machine.
By replacing traditional fixed control panels, they give operators full freedom of movement across the plant floor, allowing them to position themselves where visibility and safety are optimal at all times. All TM80 models offer different levels of customizability to meet each client’s specific needs — even within tight lead times.
How the integration works: a true digital twin of the crane control
A Danfoss TM80 radio remote control has been integrated into the VIROO infrastructure without any hardware modification. It is the same device that Iribarri would supply to an end customer to operate the crane in their facilities. We read the digital signals directly from the remote that the original manufacturer’s receiver receives and interpret them in the virtual reality environment in real time.
This architecture turns the solution into a true digital twin of the crane control system: the very same remote, the very same receiver and signal logic, but driving a virtual crane instead of the physical asset.
Thanks to our collaboration with Iribarri, we can customize remote controls on demand, adding all kinds of actuators and interaction elements for very specific customer use cases that are not available in the standard product catalog offered by the manufacturer.
This opens the door to highly tailored training and simulation scenarios, perfectly aligned with each plant’s real operating procedures.
The integration: the real controller inside the virtual world
The VR demo presented at BIEMH 2026 allowed visitors to hold the physical remote and operate a virtual overhead crane in real time, exactly as they would on the shop floor.
This makes the system qualitatively different from a conventional simulation:
- The operator uses their actual tool: the same remote they handle every day, with its own layout, buttons, and ergonomics.
- Fully authentic muscle memory: procedural training is built with the real device — not a generic gamepad.
- 100% safe environment: any handling error happens in the virtual world, with zero risk to people, goods, or infrastructure.
Hardware‑agnostic integration at scale
Although the BIEMH 2026 demo focused on a specific TM80 configuration, VIROO’s open integration architecture makes this approach fully extensible across the entire Danfoss TM80 family and, more broadly, to other industrial control hardware.
Thanks to the implementation and interpretation of CAN Bus libraries, the platform can interface with a wide variety of devices, enabling seamless communication with real industrial systems.
This positions VIROO not as a one‑off integration, but as a scalable platform capable of connecting real industrial equipment to virtual environments at scale.
Immediate industrial applications
- Initial operator training without halting production
- Periodic recertification and practice of high-risk maneuvers
- Accelerated onboarding in plants with multiple crane types
- Trade show demonstrations — letting customers experience the product in action
“This is the kind of collaboration that drives industry forward. The integration of this hardware into VIROO — and the remarkable interest it generated at BIEMH 2026 — opens new doors for both companies and sets a new benchmark for hands-on industrial XR training.”
Iñaki Ruiz – Service Manager, Virtualware