Virtual Reality Technology Applied in Teaching ...

Besides the constant updating of training in the new graphic resources available to engineering and architecture professions, and in widespread and frequent use, the school should also adapt its teaching activities to the new tools of visual communication. In Civil Engineering, the capacity to visualise the construction, management and maintenance of buildings can be added through the use of three-dimensional (3D) models which, facilitate the interpretation and understanding of target elements of maintenance and construction and of 4D models (3D + time) through which the evolution of construction steps and deterioration of materials can be visually demonstrated and understood. Furthermore, the possibility of interaction with the geometric models can be provided through the use of Virtual Technology (VR). The text presents diverse perspectives of introduction a new technology in school. It can be used as a tool to create didactic applications and as a new issue in the training of students. The students involved, in the research works had to learn advanced software of geometric modelling and visualization and to explore the capacities of a VR technology system. Also programming skills had to be adapted to establish the integration needed for the creation of virtual prototypes. Furthermore, the structure of different kind of databases had to be studied and implemented, integrating diverse type of information, needed to develop the interactive virtual model. The VR technology was introduced in school in order to prepare civil engineering students to consider this knowledge as an important support, later in professional activity, and also to facilitate the link between, engineering theory and its implementation.