Laser Cutter VR Training System Development

Since 2019, Hong Kong has been going through significant changes that led to a massive adoption of remote learning. However, a large part of the curriculum for science and engineering students relies on practice labs and projects that necessitate physical access to specialized equipment. Such training is very challenging to perform using traditional videoconferencing, and requires the development of novel training technologies. In this project, we propose to leverage virtual reality to offer a safe and immersive environment for equipment training. More specifically, we will develop an interactive PC-based laser cutter virtual reality (VR) training system. The goal is to make use of the latest VR technology and gamification techniques to help students learn about the operation of a laser cutter remotely before the actual training session. The outcome will be an interactive VR training system which supports steamVR (HTC vive) and Oculus Quest head-mounted displays. This project will also serve as a springboard for future VR training applications, within the ISD Works! facility first, before opening to the specialized needs of other departments.