VR-eLAB: A virtual reality platform for electronics education

Abstract

Geleneksel laboratuvarların yüksek maliyetleri, sürekli teknolojik güncelleme ihtiyacı ve sınırlı kullanım süresi nedeniyle sanal laboratuvarlar önem kazanmıştır. Bu çalışmada, mühendislik eğitimindeki bu zorlukların üstesinden gelmek için Sanal Gerçeklik Tabanlı Elektronik Laboratuvarı (VR-eLAB) tanıtılmaktadır. VR-eLAB, öğrencilerin Blender ‘da oluşturulan ve Unity oyun motoru kullanılarak entegre edilen 3B modellenmiş devre bileşenlerinden yararlanarak sanal bir ortamda devre tasarlamalarına ve simüle etmelerine olanak tanır. Bu sanal laboratuvar uygulaması, öğrenme sürecini geliştirmek amacıyla etkileşimli ve dinamik devre modellemesini test etmek için Oculus Quest 2 VR başlıklarına entegre edilmiştir. Geleneksel ve sanal laboratuvarların etkinliğini değerlendirmek için karşılaştırmalı bir deney yapılmıştır. Deneyin ardından yapılan bir anket, katılımcıların %81,1’inin VR-eLAB’yi geleneksel laboratuvarlardan daha etkili bulduğunu ortaya koyarken, %88,2’si zaman yönetimi için yararlılığını vurgulamıştır. Öğrenciler, sanal ortamın etkileşimli doğası nedeniyle zenginleştirilmiş öğrenme deneyimleri yaşadıklarını bildirmişlerdir. Bu bulgular, sanal gerçekliğin elektronik laboratuvarlarını daha erişilebilir ve verimli hale getirme, öğrencilerin anlayışını ve katılımını artırma potansiyelini vurgulamaktadır. Çalışma, sanal gerçekliğin eğitimdeki dönüştürücü rolünü ortaya koymakta ve pratik becerilerin geliştirilmesini teşvik ederken geleneksel yöntemlere uygun maliyetli ve esnek bir alternatif sunmaktadır.

Keywords

• Virtual Reality
• Education
• Electronics
• Engineering
• Unity
• Three-Dimension

VR-eLAB: Elektronik eğitimi için sanal gerçeklik platformu

Öz

Virtual laboratories have gained importance due to the high costs of traditional labs, the need for constant technological updates, and limited usage time. This study introduces a Virtual Reality-based Electronics Laboratory (VR-eLAB) to overcome these challenges in engineering education. The VR-eLAB allows students to design and simulate circuits in a virtual environment, leveraging 3D-modeled circuit components created in Blender and integrated using the Unity game engine. This virtual lab application is integrated into Oculus Quest 2 VR headsets to test interactive and dynamic circuit modeling to enhance the learning process. A comparative experiment was conducted to assess the effectiveness of traditional and virtual laboratories. Following the experiment, a survey revealed that 81.1% of participants found the VR-eLAB more effective than traditional labs, while 88.2% emphasized its usefulness for time management. Students reported enriched learning experiences due to the interactive nature of the virtual environment. These findings highlight the potential of virtual reality in making electronic laboratories more accessible and efficient, improving students’ understanding and engagement. The study demonstrates VR’s transformative role in education, offering a cost-effective and flexible alternative to traditional methods while fostering practical skills development.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Sanal Gerçeklik
• Eğitim
• Elektronik
• Mühendislik
• Unity
• Üç Boyut

Kaynakça

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