2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

MERGE: Multiphysics-Enriched Mixed Reality for Geotechnical Engineering Education

Presented at NSF Grantees Poster Session I

Earth Trek is a mixed reality educational game that aims to enrich geotechnical engineering education through gamified learning. The game is designed for undergraduate geotechnical engineering students as part of the Multiphysics-Enriched Mixed reality for Geotechnical Engineering (MERGE) platform. It combines virtual reality technology with experimentation, field exploration, and engineering design through a series of mini-games based on standard lab assignments. These enable students to learn key concepts in geotechnical engineering in a virtual environment. Students can access various testing tools (e.g. thermal conductivity measurements and direct shear tests) through the game missions. They can also conduct parametric studies in the virtual laboratory to understand soil properties under different geological conditions. Students can also perform parametric studies in a virtual lab to understand the efficiency of heat transfer in geothermal piles. The game allows students to intuitively grasp complex theoretical concepts and practical operations through visualization and simulation tools. By completing the game's tasks, students can earn points and update the appearance of their characters, increasing their motivation to learn. Implemented across multiple institutions, Earth Trek not only improves students' laboratory skills and geotechnical knowledge, but also integrates smart city design concepts and develops their metacognitive and problem-solving skills. Beyond classroom teaching, the game supports self-paced learning, promoting lifelong education and preparing students for careers in geotechnical engineering.

Authors

LuoBin Cui Rowan University [biography]

Rowan ECE PHD student
Dr. Ying Tang http://orcid.org/https://0000-0001-6064-1908 Rowan University [biography]

Ying Tang received the B.S. and M.S. degrees from the Northeastern University, P. R. China, in 1996 and 1998, respectively, and Ph. D degree from New Jersey Institute of Technology in 2001. She is currently Full Professor and the Undergraduate Program Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rowan University, Glassboro, New Jersey. Her current research interest lies in the area of cyber-physical social systems, extended reality, adaptive and personalized systems, modeling and adaptive control for computer-integrated systems, and sustainable production automation. Her work has been continuously supported by NSF, EPA, US Army, FAA, DOT, private foundations, and industry. She has three USA patents, and over 250 peer-reviewed publications, including 88 journal articles, 2 edited books, and 6 book / encyclopedia chapters. Dr. Tang is presently Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Systems, IEEE Transactions on Intelligent Vehicles, IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems and Springer’s Discover Artificial Intelligence. She is the Founding Chair of Technical Committee on Intelligent Solutions to Human-aware Sustainability for IEEE Systems, Man, & Cybernetic, and the Founding Chair of Technical Committee on Sustainable Production Automation for IEEE Robotic and Automation.
Mr. Chenchen Huang Rowan University [biography]

I'm a Research Assistant of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Rowan University now. I mainly research rock mechanism problems and pavement design issues by numerical simulation.

Note

The full paper will be available to logged in and registered conference attendees once the conference starts on June 22, 2025, and to all visitors after the conference ends on June 25, 2025

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