Abstract:

The paper deals with the techniques and procedures of creating a virtual laboratory of machining in time and technically limited conditions due to the sudden lockdown at the begining of the pandemic. The goal was to create a virtual laboratory with an appropriate degree of fidelity/simplification in the shortest possible time. The model of the laboratory and its equipment was reconstructed in Blender on the basis of existing 360° spatial photographs and room dimensions. The game engine Unity was used to create an application for VR headsets. With the semester progress, machine models were improved continually, adding more functionalities to enhace students knowledge. Based on the use of the model in teaching, it was shown that the interactivity of the laboratory equipment is more important than the fidelity of its display. We found the students achieved similar level of skills as those traiined in machining laboratory. The improved version of the application will be used in the training of machine operators.

Keywords:

Laboratory, model, virtual reality, on-line teaching.