Materials science virtual laboratory as an example of the computer aid in materials engineering

Purpose: The purpose of the presented article is to describe the material science virtual laboratory, which is an open scientific, investigative, simulating and didactic medium for the realization of the didactic and educational tasks performed by traditional and e-learning methods. Design/methodology/approach: The laboratory is an aggregate of testers and training simulators, placed in the virtual reality and created in various languages and the programming techniques, which represents the properties, functionality and manual principles of real equipment installed and accessible in the real laboratories of scientific universities. Findings: Application of the equipment, that is practically imperishable, cheap in exploitation and easy in the use certainty will encourage students and scientific workers to independent audits and experiments in situations, where the possibilities of their execution in the true investigative laboratory will be limited because of the high material costs, difficult access to real equipment or the possible risk of his damage. Practical implications: The use possibilities of the virtual laboratory are practically unrestricted; it can be a base for any studies, course or training programme. It is assumed, that the project of the laboratory as fully multimedial. The participants of this laboratory can e.g. investigate training experiments from the definite field of material engineering, give questions, pass tests, contact with lecturers and the different users of the laboratory and obviously on participate in his design and content. Originality/value: The project of the virtual laboratory corresponds with the global tendency for expand the investigative and academical centers about the possibilities of training and experiments performance with use of the virtual reality. This enriches the education programme of the new abilities reserved so far exclusively for effecting only on real equipment.