Disseminating Civil Engineering through Virtual Reality: An Immersive Interface

Abstract

The application of immersive Virtual Reality (VR) interfaces has shown favourable results for Engineering Education. In fact, VR interfaces provide new practises for improvising transferability of knowledge and communication amongst users, thus disclosing new tools for decision making, planning, project review and multidisciplinary cooperation. The present work comprises a description of an immersive VR interface developed under the scope of Civil Engineering and an ongoing educational programme, Educational Lab - Big Machine. The project intends primarily, to disseminate Civil Engineering amongst pre-university students, simultaneously providing new tools for enhancing students’ motivation and decreasing early school leaving. The VR interface is available online and can be tested anywhere as long as the minimum requirements are met.