Abstract
ABSTRACT This article presents and experimentally validates DT‐virtual‐flow, a human‐centric VR environment designed for production flow simulation and operator training based on a digital twin. The study addresses the key problem of temporal misalignment between physical processes and their DT during data transmission over unstable networks, increasing the risk of critical errors in VR control. To solve this and align with the human‐centric principles of Industry 5.0, the authors propose a hybrid human‐in‐the‐loop architecture combining event‐driven WIP synchronisation, a VR interface with tactile feedback and a dead reckoning + LERP delay compensation module. This fundamentally distinguishes the solution from traditional snapshot approaches. The integration of heterogeneous equipment is ensured by an HAL abstraction layer based on OPC UA, normalising telemetry for the digital processing pipeline. In a randomised controlled experiment ( n = 30), eliminating visual latency reduced critical errors by 76.4% and shortened skill acquisition time by 20.1%. Additionally, the results show a 9.4% increase in OEE, whereas ablation analysis confirmed that disabling network delay compensation leads to a 3.8‐fold increase in accident rates. This emphasises the decisive role of algorithmic synchronisation for the safe ergonomic use of VR in next‐generation industrial systems.