A UQ led project that allows undergraduate engineering students to gain valuable industry exposure, without donning a hard hat, has been recognised internationally.
The collaborative software project between UQ, Curtin, Melbourne, Monash and Sydney Universities, brings a real processing plant to the user through a set of Virtual Reality (VR) Immersive Environments.
The project received the ‘Best Paper’ prize at the 18th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering in France, and runner-up in the UK Institution of Chemical Engineers Global Awards for Excellence in Innovation and Education and Training.
UQ Professor of Chemical Engineering Ian Cameron said engineering students at five Australian universities had started to use the VR System throughout their programs.
Professor Cameron said the VR System, within an industrial environment, reduced the requirement for direct trainer supervision, without diluting the key learning outcomes, providing industry with undeniable cost and training benefits.
“For students, costs, litigation concerns as well as logistic constraints make it increasingly difficult to conduct large scale plant tours,” he said.
“Additionally, a significant reduction of most industry-based work experience placements in Australia means students have less opportunity to see process engineering in practice.
“With round-the-clock operations in most process plants, there is also a desire to provide a learning platform for industrial operators which is accessible and available 24 hours a day.”
Professor Cameron said the VR System had helped students understand the physical layout, equipment function and some internal fluid dynamics behaviour as well as key documentation needed with process systems.
“There is a growing demand for wider access to the VR System by universities in Europe, the USA and elsewhere. Industries in other production sectors are interested in developing further environments specific to their needs.”
The project has been a team-based collaborative effort, coordinated from The University of Queensland with a strong partnership with BP Refinery (Bulwer Island) and several other Australian Chemical Engineering departments.
Funding was received from the Australian Learning and Teaching Council (formerly The Carrick Institute), UQ and BP for the project.
Media: Eliza Plant at UQ Communications (07 3365 2619)
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