{"id":3098,"date":"2025-11-12T13:21:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-12T13:21:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unite.pwr.edu.pl\/?p=3098"},"modified":"2025-11-21T13:33:14","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T13:33:14","slug":"vr-simulator-lets-european-mining-engineering-students-practice-drilling-safely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unite.pwr.edu.pl\/en\/vr-simulator-lets-european-mining-engineering-students-practice-drilling-safely\/","title":{"rendered":"VR simulator lets European Mining Engineering students practice drilling safely"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A virtual reality simulator will allow Mining Engineering students across Europe to practice drilling and blasting collaboratively and safely.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

European Mining Engineering students will soon be able to practice drilling and blasting safely and collaboratively using a new virtual reality simulator. The project, funded by the Unite! Seed Fund, was developed by researchers from UPC, PoliTO, TU Graz, and WUST, and is coordinated by UPC professor\u00a0Marc Vallb\u00e9<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Next\u00a0Friday, 14 November, at 10:30 a.m., the\u00a0TechLab<\/a>\u00a0of the Universitat Polit\u00e8cnica de Catalunya – BarcelonaTech<\/strong>\u00a0(UPC) will host the presentation of the first prototype of a\u00a0virtual reality simulator for training in drilling and blasting<\/strong>.\u00a0This prototype has been developed within the framework of the\u00a0MineXR project<\/strong>, led by the UPC and funded by the\u00a0Unite! Seed Fund<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0immersive simulator<\/strong>\u00a0has been designed to enhance the practical training and safety of\u00a0Mining Engineering students across Europe<\/strong>, allowing them to carry out drilling exercises in a fully virtual, risk-free environment. In addition, the platform enables\u00a0real-time collaboration<\/strong>\u00a0among students from different European universities within a shared virtual space.<\/p>\n

During the presentation at\u00a0TechLab Manresa<\/strong>, attending students and faculty will have the opportunity to\u00a0test the prototype for the first time<\/strong>\u00a0and provide feedback that will be crucial for the tool\u2019s final development. The event will also feature the participation of researchers from the project\u2019s partner universities \u2014\u00a0TU Graz (Austria), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), and Wroc\u0142aw Tech \u2013 Wroc\u0142aw University of Science and Technology (Poland) <\/strong>\u2014 and will mark the start of a\u00a0technical development workshop<\/strong>\u00a0taking place over the weekend.<\/p>\n

The MineXR Project: Virtual mines for safer mining education<\/h3>\n

The\u00a0MineXR project<\/strong>, coordinated by\u00a0Marc Vallb\u00e9<\/strong>\u00a0from the\u00a0Department of Mining, Industrial and ICT Engineering at the UPC\u00a0<\/strong>and professor at EPSEM, aims to transform Mining Engineering education through the use of\u00a0immersive Extended Reality (XR) environments<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0interdisciplinary initiative<\/strong>\u00a0brings together experts in mining, computing, pedagogy, and remote sensing to create\u00a0realistic virtual mines<\/strong>\u00a0where students can practice and experiment in a\u00a0gamified environment<\/strong>, promoting teamwork and interaction between universities beyond the limitations and risks of physical space.\u00a0The project promotes a\u00a0safer, more engaging, and collaborative<\/strong>\u00a0form of education that takes full advantage of new technologies.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0\u201cMineXR aims to offer future Mining Engineers a practical and safe learning experience, enhancing student engagement and improving learning outcomes through immersive technology.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n