Local Teens Learn VR and Simulation at Engineering Camp

Over 40 teens from around Northwest Indiana visited CIVS in June as part of Purdue Northwest’s Mechanical and Civil Engineering 2021 Summer Camp. While at CIVS, the students learned about Computer Simulation, Fluid Dynamics, 3D Visualization, and Virtual Reality. CIVS grad student Emily Higley led a hands-on activity in the CIVS Immersive Theater to teach students about viscosity and drag. Asked about teaching the students, Higley said, “Learning about engineering tools and concepts from a young age inspired me to pursue this field, so I was excited to be a part of something that will expose young minds to real-world engineering concepts.”

The students also experienced a variety of immersive and interactive activities in the CIVS Visualization Lab. These included putting out a fire in virtual reality with interactive fire extinguisher training, experiencing a 360-degree trench collapse, trying out augmented reality headsets for Lockout-Tagout training, and getting a crash course in using Unity which is an interactive 3D software used for developing simulators. The CIVS activities were one part of the week-long camp attended by middle school students during one week, and high school students during another.