Earlier this month, Humble High School STEM students had the opportunity to visit the ExxonMobil Houston Campus to participate in a tour of its virtual reality lab.
During the tour, students learned about the applications of virtual reality technology outside of gaming and its use in design, training, operations and safety practices.
ExxonMobil staff introduced students to virtual reality lab safety and demonstrated how virtual reality, augmented reality and hands-free technology are used to improve workplace safety, increase work efficiency and in training new recruits in the field of engineering.
“I managed to make sense of how architects and construction workers rely on VR headsets to scan measurements and location,” Engineering Design student Francisco Rodriguez said. “It was a cool experience to see how technology has been pushed to new heights to create safer work and training environments for newly recruited workers in the field.”
In the virtual reality lab, the students tested out the different virtual reality technology available and walked through an immersive introductory simulation that involved ascending an elevator, approaching the edge of the elevator’s platform and potentially stepping off.
“Immediately after taking off the headset, I could imagine a future designing technology and being a part of the impressive people who help build and create these VR headsets,” Engineering Design student Kayla Lenzy said.
Humble High School Engineering Instructor Jared Bentley said that before the students’ visit to the virtual reality lab, many of them had never considered the use of VR technology outside of gaming.
“They were very excited about the possibility that when they go out into the industry, VR technology might play a role in their careers,” Bentley said.
In his Engineering Design and Presentation class, students learn the basics about building 3D models, assembling single parts, placing assemblies together and creating manufacturing drawings.
“It was a great experience for the students to see cutting edge technology in their hands or inches away from them and to see the same issues of 3D modeling and simulations that they’re learning in class being applied to real purposes, " Bentley said. “They got to see that when you put these systems together and put a lot of computing power behind them, that they are recreating entire worlds.”
The opportunity to visit the ExxonMobil campus stemmed from a partnership with the Transformation Outreach Center, a local organization that helps make careers in technology more accessible to students in Humble ISD through first-person STEM experiences.
