Virtual Construction Simulator: Improving Design and Construction Engineering Education with Virtual Reality

这个项目将培养学生可视化建筑环境的能力，这是设计和建筑工程教育所需要的一项关键技能。土木和建筑工程专业的学生通常学习通过审查2D CAD图纸和制定关键路径方法（CPM）时间表来分析项目设计和规划施工。随着计算机显示技术的最新进步，现在有可能将我们的学生放在一个大型的、沉浸式的投影显示器中，让他们体验和实验一个建筑项目的3D、全尺寸虚拟原型。这种先进的视觉交流可以显著提高学生理解、学习和积累经验的能力，以审查设计的可建造性和规划复杂的建筑和基础设施项目的建设。身临其境的模型还将帮助学生提高他们的可视化技能，使他们更有准备在3D中解释和可视化2D图纸。本项目的目标是通过在沉浸式虚拟现实环境中使用交互式建筑项目学习模块来改善建筑和基础设施设计与施工的工程教育。项目团队将开发一个虚拟建筑模拟器（VCS），让学生沉浸在3D建筑项目中，对设计进行详细分析，并制定建设项目的计划。施工计划将包括施工方法选择、活动顺序、活动持续时间定义、临时设施位置和项目进度计算。在学生完成设计分析和建筑规划练习后，他们将能够回顾结果并将其展示给他们的同龄人和老师。VCS的使用将对宾夕法尼亚州立大学建筑工程和土木工程专业的工程教育质量产生直接影响。这个项目的广泛影响将是四倍的。首先，它将丰富设计和建造基础设施和建筑项目的工程师的教育。这将提高全国未来建筑项目的效率、安全性和安全性。其次，它将在低成本的VR显示器上展示VCS和案例研究项目。这些工具将提供给其他大学，以便更多的学生和教师可以使用这个拟议项目中开发的学习模块，并分享从项目模板中开发的新案例研究。第三，通过详细评估选定的案例研究项目对我们学习目标的影响，该项目将增加对沉浸式VR环境中使用主动学习练习的教学价值的研究。最后，改善可视化能力的发展和参与式的学习环境应提高工程学科对高素质学生的吸引力和保留率。通过清晰地展示这些先进可视化工具的教育价值和首选方法，该项目将为未来的VR工程教育应用提供模型。

This project will foster student's ability to visualize the built environment is a critical skill required in design and construction engineering education. Students in Civil and Architectural Engineering programs typically learn to analyze project designs and plan their construction by reviewing 2D CAD drawings and developing Critical Path Method (CPM) schedules. With recent advancements in computer display technology, it is now possible to place our students within a large-scale, immersive projection display that allows them to experience and experiment with a 3D, full-scale virtual prototype of a construction project. This advanced visual communication can significantly improve the ability of students to comprehend, learn, and gain experience with reviewing designs for constructability and planning the construction of complex building and infrastructure projects. The immersive models will also help students improve their visualization skills so that they will be more prepared to interpret and visualize 2D drawings in 3D.The goal of this proposed project is to improve engineering education in building and infrastructure design and construction through the use of interactive construction project learning modules in an immersive virtual reality environment. The project team will develop a Virtual Construction Simulator (VCS) that will allow students to immerse themselves into a 3D construction project, perform a detailed analysis of the design, and develop a plan for constructing the project. The construction plan will include construction methods selection, activity sequencing, activity duration definition, temporary facility locations, and project schedule calculation. After the students complete their design analysis and construction planning exercise, they will be able to review the results and present them to their peers and instructors. The use of the VCS will make an immediate impact on the quality of engineering education at Penn State in Architectural Engineering and Civil Engineering. The broad impacts of this project will be fourfold. First, it will enrich the education of engineers who design and construct infrastructure and building projects. This will improve the efficiency, safety and security of future building projects nationwide. Second, it will demonstrate the VCS and case study projects in a low cost VR display. These tools will be made available to other universities so that more students and faculty can use the learning modules developed in this proposed project and share new case studies developed from the project templates. Third, this project will add to the research on the pedagogical value of using active learning exercises in an immersed VR environment through a detailed assessment of the impact of selected case study projects on our learning objectives. Finally, the improved visualization capability development and engaging learning environment should improve the attraction and retention of top caliber students to engineering disciplines. This project will provide a model for future VR engineering education applications by clearly showing the educational value and preferred methods for applying these advanced visualization tools.