Mechanical Engineering Virtual Reality Lab

Students perform multiple engineering lab experiments within the Critical Utilities 1 module. The ‘Pump Laboratory’ experiment involves interaction with a fluid power training rig to record pressure and flow readings from a variety of system states. The recorded data from multiple pumping experiments is used to create pump and system characteristic curves and charts. This experiment is very appropriate to industrial practice and design. The typical cohort size is 10+ and the availability of only one training rig introduces a ‘pinch-point’ in the interaction capacity of the students; there is insufficient time for all students to perform all the separate lab experiments independently, within the timeframe of the single laboratory session. Lecturer demonstration to the class is used to facilitate a selection of the pumping experiments. It is too costly and prohibitive to purchase multiple physical rigs to facilitate all student interactions.