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Towards Education 4.0 in Geotechnical Engineering Using a Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Visualization Platform

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Abstract

Education 4.0 can play a significant role in the future of geotechnical engineering education. It can provide personalized and equitable learning experiences and be used to develop skills for the fourth industrial revolution in geotechnical engineering. In this paper, we explore the application of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) models, as part of Education 4.0, to enhance the presentation and communication of soil mechanics concepts. A detailed step-by-step process for creating 3D representations of geotechnical concepts, including texturing, UV mapping, animation, and export and publishing techniques, is introduced. For this purpose, two powerful 3D modeling and animation software programs, Autodesk Maya and Blender, are employed to develop geotechnical avatars in a soil mechanics laboratory. In Autodesk Maya, a detailed representation of the soil phase diagram is presented, while Blender is utilized to create a Consolidated Undrained (CU) triaxial laboratory experiment. The geotechnical testing avatars are then uploaded to Sketchfab, a popular publishing website that supports AR/VR formats. We also explore the potential for establishing a virtual laboratory for geotechnical engineering, highlighting the transformative possibilities it offers in terms of practical learning experiences and educational accessibility.

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Code and data availability

All source models and AR/VR models, as referenced in this paper, are deposited on Zenodo and Sketchfab, respectively. The related links are provided in Table 5.

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Acknowledgements

This project was undertaken thanks to the funding support provided by the Fonds d’actions pédagogiques stratégiques (FAPS) of Polytechnique Montréal.

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  1. Department of Civil, Geological and Mining Engineering, Polytechnique Montreal, Montreal, Canada

    Mohammadhossein Afsharipour & Pooneh Maghoul

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  1. Mohammadhossein Afsharipour
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  2. Pooneh Maghoul
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Correspondence to Pooneh Maghoul.

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Afsharipour, M., Maghoul, P. Towards Education 4.0 in Geotechnical Engineering Using a Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality Visualization Platform. Geotech Geol Eng 42, 2657–2673 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10706-023-02697-x

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