Establishment of a Virtual-Reality Laboratory for Engineering Education

北卡罗来纳州立大学将建立一个工程教育虚拟现实实验室，利用最近虚拟现实技术成本大幅下降的优势。该项目的一个独特方面是使用触觉设备，将触觉刺激融入到更传统的多媒体工具中。该实验室将与材料科学与工程系合作，本科生将利用该实验室以互动方式探索与复杂材料相关的主题，如化学力的范围和强度。该教育软件将在NCSU与位于北卡罗来纳州教堂山的NIH国家研究资源中心合作开发。

A virtual-reality laboratory for engineering education will be estab- lished at North Carolina State University that takes advantage of recent dramatic reductions in the cost of virtual-reality technology. A unique aspect of the project is the use of haptic devices that incorporate tactile stimulation into more traditional multimedia tools. The laboratory, which will be associated with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, will be used by undergraduates to interactively explore complex materials-related topics like the range and strength of chemical forces. The educational software will be developed at NCSU in collaboration with the NIH National Center for Research Resources at UNC-Chapel Hill.