Virtual reality in the chemical engineering classroom

Virtual reality, VR, is an emerging computer interface that utilizes immersive interactive threedimensional graphics as well as audio, psychology, special hardware, and numerous other mechanisms to produce simulations so realistic that users believe (Eif only for a few momentsE) that what they are experiencing is OrealO [1]. In addition to high-speed graphics, VR can be enhanced through wired clothing, body tracking sensors, tactile and force feedback systems, spatialized sound, and even olfactory displays. Some of the earliest uses of VR have been in medical and military applications, where budgets are large and the consequences of even small errors are sufficient to justify the expense of high-quality equipment and initial software development. More recently VR has been used for computational fluid dynamics visualization, operator training, construction engineering, maintenance planning, and EPA site remediation.