2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Virtual Reality Orientation for Robotics Labs: Safe Entry, Spatial Rules, and Learning Outcomes

Presented at Engineering Technology Division (ETD) Technical Session 5

This study presents the development and evaluation of an immersive virtual reality (VR) orientation module designed to introduce students to a university robotics laboratory and familiarize them with physical lab sessions. The VR environment guides learners through key laboratory procedures, starting with putting on the required safety gear and adherence to established entry protocols. Within the simulation, students interact with various robotic systems, observe representative task demonstrations, and learn about the movement boundaries enforced by a spatial feedback system that warns users when they enter unsafe or restricted zones. The objective is to familiarize students with the physical lab’s spatial layout, operational norms, and safety culture in a low-risk, engaging setting. Twenty-six participants experienced the developed VR environment and responded to standardized post-activity surveys measuring usability, user perceptions, learning outcomes, and comfort. Results show strong evidence of usability and educational value, with a mean System Usability Scale score of 80.08, significantly higher than the 68-point benchmark, indicating a user-centric system design. User-perception ratings were consistently above neutral (usefulness = 5.5, realism=5.96, comfort = 4.8 on a 7-point scale), while knowledge scores averaged 7.58/8, suggesting substantial learning gains regarding lab safety rules and robot types. No simulator sickness symptoms were reported in the pre- or post-session, demonstrating effective ergonomic and user-friendly design. Correlation analyses revealed a negligible negative association with prior VR familiarity, indicating that prior experience had little influence on perceived usability. Overall, the VR module provided an engaging, safe, and pedagogically effective orientation, strengthening students’ confidence and procedural readiness for real-world robotics tasks. Future extensions will scale deployment across courses, integrate performance analytics, and examine behavioral transfer from the virtual to the physical laboratory.

Authors

Abir Khan Ratul The University of Texas at Arlington [biography]

Abir Khan Ratul is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. His research focuses on extended reality-based engineering education and training, human-robot interaction in construction, BIM automation, and simulation-based assessment. His work integrates emerging technologies such as XR, generative AI, and automation to improve workforce readiness and learning outcomes in civil and construction engineering.
Francisco Aguilar Fletcher Rochester Institute of Technology (CET) [biography]

Francisco Aguilar Fletcher is a 5th year Combined Bachelors and Masters student in the Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering technology department at the Rochester Institute of Technology, located in Rochester, NY, and originally from Orlando, Florida. For the past year, he has been involved with research under the mentorship of Dr. Ahasan Habib, contributing to two major projects, one involving robotic prosthetics, and the current involving Virtual Reality and robotics education. For his Master project, he plans on developing and testing a new VR world that can help further progress robotics education. He is planning on either working in the automotive or healthcare industries after graduation.
MD Ahasan HABIB Rochester Institute of Technology (CET) [biography]

MD Ahasan Habib, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Technology at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Dr. Habib’s research interests focus on additive manufacturing, 3D bioprinting, tissue engineering, biofabrication, robotics and automation, smart biomanufacturing systems, and computational modeling for advanced manufacturing applications.
Dr. Mahmudur Rahman The University of Texas at Arlington [biography]

Mahmudur Rahman, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial, Manufacturing, and Systems Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Rahman’s research interests center around Engineering Education, Driver Trust and Acceptance of Vehicle Automation, Occupational Safety, and Human-Robot Interaction.
Dr. Md Nazmus Sakib http://orcid.org/https://0000-0003-0390-792X The University of Texas at Arlington [biography]

Md Nazmus Sakib, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at The University of Texas at Arlington. He earned his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University and leads the Intelligent Systems and Emerging Technologies (iSET) Lab at UTA. His research focuses on construction automation, workforce training, emerging technologies in transportation and construction, and data-driven engineering solutions. He has served as PI/Co-PI on projects funded by federal and state organizations including the NSF, TxDOT, and USDOT.

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