Multi-scale mechanical testing for engineering education in virtual reality environment

Abstract

The year 2020 changed the state of the world with the introduction of the COVID pandemic. With various restrictions placed to protect the health and safety of humanity, life was greatly altered for everyone. As a student pursuing a higher education, the closure of schools and labs greatly restricted the practical experiences normally experienced in university due to the lockdown placed upon the populous. This lost experience inspired the ideation of educational labs conducted through virtual reality. With the utilization of virtual reality as a tool to educate students from a remote location, students could still experience the full practical labs that have been physically restricted to them.

The progression of this Thesis research included the initial previous project revolving around the creation of a virtual dog bone sample tension test as well as the continuation of the virtual reality (VR) lab possibilities through the creation of a user interface (UI) based scanning electron microscope (SEM) sample compression test. User testing of the SEM lab resulted in successful runs through the program and constructive feedback on how the program could be improved as well as possible potentials for the program to grow and potentially be utilized as a common educational tool for remote use.