2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The field of engineering design and manufacturing is experiencing a substantial paradigm shift across the globe due to the digitization of data, machine learning, and connected devices under the name Industry 4.0. The growing complication in advanced design and manufacturing requires engineers' profound understanding of innovative concepts from proper training and problem-handling skills. STEM education has not kept pace in adapting to the new trend from Industry 4.0, such as advanced engineering design, manufacturing, and their inter-relation into the classroom settings. To this end, this study focuses on modernizing an engineering laboratory course by developing Virtual Reality (VR)-based interactive simulations. Traditionally manufacturing laboratory activities involve a manual lathe, milling machine, drill press, and a CNC mill. Yet, due to space limitations, lack of equipment, teaching staff, and safety requirements, the laboratory experiments are conducted in groups of 3~4 students at a time. This infrastructure gives each student minimal hands-on experience each week, perhaps a couple of minutes at maximum. Starting from the Fall 2022 semester, a new virtual environment, a scaled-down version of an intelligent factory similar to the Virtual Learning Factory (VLF) model, has been developed and implemented in the junior-level manufacturing processes laboratory. It aims to allow students to learn the actual hands-on experience by providing interactive experience using VR Headsets and acquaint mechanical engineers' role in the new design principles and manufacturing standards of industry 4.0. The resulting paper will be based on this work-in-progress to share the findings and effects of new VR implementation in engineering education.