Development of Virtual Reality Tools for Engineering Education

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9975680BrennerThis project at North Carolina State University continues development of virtual reality (VR) tools for engineering education that allow students to interact tactily and visually with an educational computer model. The hardware for each VR station is composed of a force-feedback haptic and PC-based visualization. The haptic is essentially a three-dimensional hand-held joystick in which mechanical linkages are used to control the motion of the haptic arm. This control can be in the form of a push or pull, or a resistance to motion. During the first funding period, five education software modules that include interatomic forces, stress-strain, diffusion and surface dynamics of vapor deposition have been developed. In the continuation phase, these modules will be refined to eliminate chatter and to include stereo visualization capabilities, and new modules illustrating atomistic concepts related to mechanical properties of materials (creep, fatigue) and modules built around atomic-force microscopy images will be developed.Simultaneous tactile and visual interaction with modules designed to illustrate concepts in materials engineering allows students to gain "hands-on" experience with otherwise seemingly abstract topics such as interatomic forces and diffusion barriers. This capability has proven especially important for engineering students that relate to practical applications rather than abstract concepts. Students working on this project have written modules illustrating interatomic bonding, stress-strain behavior, and diffusion processes that take advantage of this hardware.