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Applying virtual reality in education: A prototypical virtual
physics laboratory
Loftin, R.B.
Engleberg, M.
Benedetti, R.
Houston Univ., TX;
This paper appears in: Virtual Reality, 1993. Proceedings., IEEE 1993 Symposium on Research Frontiers in
10/25/1993
-10/26/1993, 25-26 Oct 1993
Location: San Jose, CA
, USA
On page(s): 67-74
25-26 Oct 1993
References Cited: 25
INSPEC Accession Number: 4903673
Abstract:
A prototypical virtual physics laboratory has been constructed
that allows students to control the laboratory environment as well as
the physical properties of objects in that laboratory. Those environment
factors that can be controlled in the current implementation include
gravity (both magnitude and direction), surface friction, and
atmospheric drag. The coefficients of restitution of elastic bodies can
also be altered. Trajectories of objects can be traced to facilitate
measurements. The laboratory allows students to measure both
displacements and elapsed time. Time may be frozen to allow for precise
observation of time-varying phenomena. This laboratory will ultimately
be extended into the macroscopic and microscopic domains -giving
students access to direct observations that were heretofore impossible.
This new application of computer graphics in education has the potential
to augment or replace traditional laboratory instruction with approaches
that offer superior motivation, retention, and intellectual stimulation
Index Terms:
computer aided instruction
physics
physics computing
user interfaces
virtual reality
atmospheric drag
computer graphics
displacements
education
elapsed time
elastic bodies
gravity
laboratory instruction
macroscopic
microscopic
prototypical virtual physics laboratory
surface friction
time-varying phenomena
virtual reality
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