Autonomous Virtual Reality Integration for Active Thermography : Engineering Education and Experimentation

Abstract

International Conference, XR Salento 2025, Otranto, Italy, June 17–20 2025 Abstract : "The present study sets out the development and evaluation of an autonomous virtual reality (VR) environment designed to enhance the teaching and experimentation of active thermography in engineering education. This paper builds upon a previous version (VR_1), the limitations of which were revealed to be related to interface clarity and result interpretation. The present version (VR_2) has been developed to optimise immersion and pedagogical effectiveness. The novel application was developed for use with standalone headsets, such as Meta Quest 2 and 3. This development resulted in a substantial enhancement of accessibility and ergonomics. The updated system has been developed to consolidate all interactive elements into a single virtual scene. This development is expected to simplify operation and enable students to focus more intuitively on learning tasks and thermographic data analysis. The educational benefits of the application were evaluated using a practical case study involving defect detection in composite materials. It was indicated by the student feedback that VR_2 was superior in terms of navigation, data comparison, and overall usability. The immersive environment was found to be an effective tool in supporting students’ comprehension of thermography principles and enhancing their analytical capabilities. These f indings serve to confirm the relevance of VR in promoting engagement and comprehension in the field of engineering education. Subsequent enhancements are to be centred on the mitigation of extant technical constraints and the incorporation of features such as interactive tutorials and hand tracking, with a view to further enhancing the learning experience."