2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Extended Reality for Cleanroom Simulation and Augmentation in Nanotechnology Classroom

Presented at Electrical and Computer Engineering Division (ECE) Technical Session 7

The U.S. is facing a growing shortage of qualified experts and adequate cleanroom facilities needed to train future professionals in the design, manufacturing and testing of nanoelectronics and semiconductor chips. While previous efforts have provided insight into the benefits and drawbacks of fully virtual training, user experience challenges—such as nausea, motion sickness, general discomfort, and a reduced sense of physical presence—remain significant obstacles to effective learning. Additionally, hardware limitations that restrict training to fully virtual environments have further contributed to these challenges. To alleviate this workforce development need and enhance the available training environments, this paper investigates the utilization of Extended Reality (XR) tools for supplementing and integrating lab activities in an academic cleanroom facility.

Three distinct methods have been developed and evaluated to determine the most effective tools for both individual students and groups. These methods include: 1) A traditional VR-style simulation derived from a previous study, operating independently of any physical lab space. 2) A headset-based AR experience designed to augment existing lab environments with virtual tools and training procedures. 3) A phone-based AR experience offering a more accessible form factor at the cost of immersion.

A sample of the questions for students engaging with each experience includes: 1) Which experience felt most natural to use? 2) Did any of the experiences cause nausea or discomfort? 3) How would you rate the overall learning experience and knowledge gained from each experience? 4) What adjustments or additions would you like to see in future iterations of these experiences?

Based on the data and responses collected from each XR experience, this paper examines which future training tools best support student learning and engagement in the classroom, aiming to find a balance between available resources and the quality of the learning experience. Additional consideration is given to ways the classroom environment could be further enhanced beyond the scope of this study.

Authors

Mr. Joshua Stoner The George Washington University [biography]

Joshua Stoner is a first-year Ph.D. student in Computer Engineering at The George Washington University, where he works in Dr. Gina Adam’s lab. He has a background and ongoing interest in Extended Reality (XR) and its applications in educational and training environments. His current research focuses on developing augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools for cleanroom training. He holds a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Elizabethtown College.
Zhuolin Yang The George Washington University [biography]

Zhuolin Yang received the B.S. degree in computer science from Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada, in 2018 and the M.S. degree in computer science from the George Washington University, DC, USA, in 2020. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree in computer engineering at the George Washington University, DC, USA. In 2020, she joined the Adaptive Devices and Microsystems Group at GWU. Her research interests include the development of hardware-mappable algorithms, particularly training methods for distributed memristive circuits and integrated algorithmic solutions for high-resolution cardiac monitoring, as well as the application of extended reality technologies in education and training.
Sean Letavish The George Washington University [biography]

Sean Letavish is a former GWU student, completing his Master's in Electrical Engineering in 2023. He is a former NASA electrical engineer, and is currently a Systems Engineer at Collins Aerospace in Annapolis Maryland.
Lucian Blanks Gallaudet University [biography]

Lucian Blanks is a Hard of Hearing researcher who earned a B.S. in Biology and Public Health from Gallaudet University and a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Catherine University. Their interests include biochemistry, accessibility, and interdisciplinary research.
Dr. Paul S. Sabila Gallaudet University [biography]

"Dr. Sabila is a Professor of Chemistry in the Biology and Chemistry Program within the School for Science, Technology, Accessibility, Mathematics, and Public Health (STAMP) at Gallaudet University.

Dr. Sabila completed a post-doctoral fellowship in 2008 in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, at the University of Connecticut. He earned his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of Connecticut in 2006 and his bachelor's degree, summa cum laude, from the University of Nairobi in Kenya in 1999. His Ph.D. dissertation focused on the synthesis of strained and heterocyclic organic compounds. During his doctoral studies, he completed an internship at Boehringer-Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Ridgefield, Connecticut.

Additionally, Dr. Sabila has worked as an Assistant Quality Control Manager at Gesto Pharmaceuticals in Kenya and as a Medical Sales Representative at Phillips Pharmaceuticals, also in Kenya. He is a member of the American Chemical Society, Organic Division.
Dr. Gina Adam http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0027-1145 The George Washington University [biography]

She received a Ph.D. degree in electrical and computer engineering in Dmitri Strukov's group and a M.A. degree in teaching and learning from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2015. She was a research scientist with the National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies (IMT Bucharest) and a visiting scholar at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Amongst her scientific achievements are the first demonstration of a stacked RRAM crossbar with 4 bit precision, high yield functional integration of stacked RRAM onto foundry CMOS and the first perceptron network implemented in monolithically integrated RRAM crossbars. Her honors include the International Fulbright Science and Technology Award (2010), the Mirzayan Fellowship at the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (2012), the Marie Sklodowska Curie Individual Fellowship from the European Commission (2016), the AFOSR Young Investigator Program Award (2023), the NSF CAREER Award (2023), and the DOE Early Career Research Program Award (2024). She also received the GW Engineering Outstanding Early Career Teaching Award (2022), the GW-wide Morton A. Bender Teaching Award (2023), the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools Doctoral-level Teaching Award (2024), and the IEEE HKN C. Holmes MacDonald Outstanding Teaching Award (2024).

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