Tools for Teaching Mining Students in Virtual Reality based on 360°Video Experiences

IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops (VRW), pp. 455–459

Abstract

In recent years, Virtual Reality (VR) technology has found their way into higher education. Its power lays in its ability to provide immersive three-dimensional (3D) experiences that help conveying educational content whilst providing rich interaction possibilities. Especially in mining engineering education, VR has high potential to reshape the provided learning content. Field trips, i.e. mine visits, are an integral part of the education and necessary to transfer knowledge to students. However, field trips are time and cost intensive and mines often have tight entry regulations. As a result, the number of field trips is limited. VR-based field trips offer a considerable alternative presupposed they replicate the complex mining environment realistically. In addition, VR mines have the advantage of taking students close to events (e.g. explosions) that are impossible to demonstrate in a real mine. However, generating realistic 3D content for VR still involves complex, and thus time consuming tasks. Therefore, we present the design of a VR Framework for teaching mining students based on 360° video data, its evaluation in three different lectures, and its extension based on the feedback we received from students and teachers from four different universities.

Authors 15

1. Denis Kalkofen

   Graz University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Graz University of Technology

2. Shohei Mori

   Graz University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Graz University of Technology

3. Tobias Ladinig

   Montanuniversität Leoben

   Affiliation as printed

   Montanuniversität Leoben

4. Lea Marleen Daling Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University

5. Anas Abdelrazeq Aachen

   RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   RWTH Aachen University

6. Markus Ebner

   Graz University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Graz University of Technology

7. Manuel Labrador Ortega

   Montanuniversität Leoben

   Affiliation as printed

   Montanuniversität Leoben

8. Susanne Feiel

   Montanuniversität Leoben

   Affiliation as printed

   Montanuniversität Leoben

9. Sebastian Gabl

   Graz University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Graz University of Technology

10. Taras Shepel

    TU Bergakademie Freiberg

    Affiliation as printed

    TU Bergakademie Freiberg

11. James Tibbett
    Affiliation as printed

    SeePilot

12. Teemu H. Laine

    Luleå University of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Luleå University of Technology

13. Michael Hitch

    Tallinn University of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Tallinn University of Technology

14. Carsten Drebenstedt

    TU Bergakademie Freiberg

    Affiliation as printed

    TU Bergakademie Freiberg

15. Peter Daniel Moser

    Montanuniversität Leoben

    Affiliation as printed

    Montanuniversität Leoben