Poster: Use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality(VR) to tackle 4 amongst the “14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century” identified by National Academy of Engineering
This poster presents the use of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) to tackle 4 amongst the “14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the 21st Century” identified by National Academy of Engineering. AR and VR are the technologies of the present and the future. AR creates a composite view by adding digital content to a real world view, often by using the camera of a smartphone and VR creates an immersive view where the user’s view is often cut off from the real world. The 14 challenges identify areas of science and technology that are achievable and sustainable to assist people and the planet to prosper. The 4 challenges tackled using AR/VR application in this poster are: Enhance virtual reality, Advance personalized learning, Provide access to clean water, and Make solar energy affordable.
The solar system VR application is aimed at tackling two of the engineering challenges: (1) Enhance virtual reality and (2) Advance personalized learning. The VR application assists the user in visualizing and understanding our solar system by using a VR headset. It includes an immersive 360 degree view of our solar system where the user can use controllers to interact with celestial bodies-related information and to teleport to different points in the space to have a closer look at the planets and the Sun. The user has six degrees of freedom.
The AR application for water tackles the engineering challenge: “Provide access to clean water”. The AR water application shows information on drinking water accessibility and the eco-friendly usage of bottles over plastic cups within the department buildings inside Auburn University. The user of the application has an augmented view of drinking water information on a smartphone. Every time the user points the smartphone camera towards a building, the application will render a composite view with drinking water information associated to the building.
The Sun path visualization AR application tackles the engineering challenge: “Make solar energy affordable”. The application helps the user visualize sun path at a selected time and location. The sun path is augmented in the camera view of the device when the user points the camera towards the sky. The application provides information on sun altitude and azimuth. Also, it provides the user with sunrise and sunset data for a selected day. The information provided by the application can aid the user with effective solar panel placement.
Using AR and VR technology to tackle these challenges enhances the user experience. The information from these applications are better curated and easily visualized, thus readily understandable by the end user. Therefore, usage of AR and VR technology to tackle these type of engineering challenges looks promising.
Graduate Research Assistant, Auburn University
Edward W. Davis received his PhD from the University of Akron in 1996. He worked in the commercial plastics industry for 11 years, including positions with Shell Chemicals in Louvain-la-Nueve Belgium and EVALCA in Houston TX. He joined the faculty at Auburn University in the fall of 2007. In 2014 he was promoted to Senior Lecturer. He has regularly taught courses in three different engineering departments. In 2015 he began his current position as an Assistant Professor in the Materials Engineering Program.
Joni M. Lakin, Ph.D. The University of Iowa, is Associate Professor of Educational Research at the University of Alabama. Her research interests include educational assessment, educational evaluation methods, and increasing diversity in STEM fields.
Dr.Virginia A. Davis’ research is primarily focused on using fluid phase processing to assemble cylindrical nanomaterials into larger functional materials. Targeted applications include optical coatings, 3D printed structures, light-weight composites, and antimicrobial surfaces. Her national awards include selection for the Fulbright Specialist Roster (2015), the American Institute of Chemical Engineers Nanoscale Science and Engineering Forum’s Young Investigator Award (2012), the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2010), and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2009). Her Auburn University awards include the Excellence in Faculty Outreach (2015), an Auburn University Alumni Professorship (2014), the Auburn Engineering Alumni Council Awards for Senior (2013) and Junior (2009) Faculty Research, the Faculty Women of Distinction Award (2012), and the Mark A. Spencer Creative Mentorship Award (2011). Dr. Davis is the past chair of Auburn’s Women in Science and Engineering Steering Committee (WISE) and the faculty liaison to the College of Engineering’s 100 Women Strong Alumnae organization which is focused on recruiting, retaining and rewarding women in engineering. She was also the founding advisor for Auburn’s SHPE chapter.
Dr. Davis earned her Ph.D. from Rice University in 2006 under the guidance of Professor Matteo Pasquali and the late Nobel Laureate Richard E. Smalley. Prior to attending Rice, Dr. Davis worked for eleven years in Shell Chemicals’ polymer businesses in the US and Europe. Her industrial assignments included manufacturing, technical service, research, and global marketing management; all of these assignments were focused on enabling new polymer formulations to become useful consumer products.
Dr. Daniela Marghitu received her B.S. in Automation and Computing from Polytechnic University of Bucharest, and her Ph.D. degree in Automation and Computing from University of Craiova.
She is a faculty member in the Computer Science and Software Engineering Department at Auburn University, where she has worked since 1996.
Her teaching experience includes a variety of Information Technology and Computing courses (e.g., Object-Oriented Programming for Engineers and Scientists, Introduction to Computing for Engineers and Scientists, Network Programming with HTML and Java, Web Development and Design Foundations with HTML 5.0, CSS3.0 and JavaScript, Personal Computer Applications, Spreadsheet-Based Applications with Visual BASIC, Web Application Development).
Her research areas include STEM K12 Inclusive Computing Research and Outreach; Web Applications Design and Development; Education and Assistive Technology; Software Engineering; Web and Software Engineering Usability and Accessibility.
Dr. Marghitu has received funding for research and education projects from National Science Foundation (e.g.Co-PI of NSF RET Site: Project-Based Learning for Rural Alabama STEM Middle School Teachers in Machine Learning and Robotics; Co-PI of NSF INCLUDES Alliance: The Alliance of Students with Disabilities for Inclusion, Networking, and Transition Opportunities in STEM (TAPDINTO-STEM); Co-PI of NSF EEC "RFE Design and Development: Framing Engineering as Community Activism for Values-Driven Engineering"; Co-PI of NSF CISE "EAGER: An Accessible Coding Curriculum for Engaging Underserved Students with Special Needs in Afterschool Programs"; co-PI of NSF INCLUDES: South East Alliance for Persons with Disabilities in STEM, Co-PI of NSF CE 21 Collaborative Research: Planning Grant: Computer Science for All (CS4ALL)).
Dr. Marghitu was also PI of grants from Center for Woman in Information Technology, Daniel F. Breeden Endowment for Faculty Enhancement, AccessComputing Alliance, Computer Science Collaboration Project, Microsoft Fuse Research, Altova Co., and Pearson Education Publishing Co.
Dr. Marghitu has mentored over one thousand high school, computing undergraduate, graduate students including representatives of underserved/underrepresented communities, women, and people with disabilities.
Dr. Marghitu has participated in numerous administrative activities at Auburn University. Among these activities are the following: Auburn University Board of Trustee Faculty Representative; Auburn University representative for National Center for Women in Information Technology, AccessComputing, Access10K, and AccessEngineering Alliances; Auburn University Persons with Disabilities Committee chair; Founder and Director Auburn University Laboratory for Education and Assistive Technology; faculty representative Auburn University Core Curriculum Oversight committee and Multicultural Diversity Commission.
Dr. Marghitu also served as World Usability Day Web Site Committee Chair; Alabama STEM Education board chair, Panel member for the National Science Foundation; member of the congressionally mandated Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering; member of the Committee on the Future of NSF EPSCoR; and member of the Computer Science for All (CSforAll) Accessibility Board.
Dr. Marghitu published seven Information Technology books at Pearson Publishing Co., articles at International Journal On Advances in Software, International Journal On Advances in Internet Technology, Journal of Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering, National Science Teaching Association Journals, Journal of Computer Science Education,International Journal on Advances in Internet Technology Transactions of the SDPS: Journal of Integrated Design and Process Science, User Experience Magazine, Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges, International Journal for Virtual Reality, Journal of SMET Education and Research.
Dr. Marghitu has published peer reviewed papers and gave presentations at numerous international conferences(e.g. ACM Special Interest Group on Computer Science Education Technical Symposium, International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference, International Conference on Software Engineering Advances, EDUCAUSE, Association for Advancement of Computing in Education, International Society for Technology in Education, Society for Design and Process Science, American Society for Engineering Education, Human Computer Interaction International Conference, and International Academy, Research, and Industry Association) in USA, Canada, England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Romania. Her work was also presented by co-authors at conferences in Brazil, Taiwan and S. Korea.
Among Dr. Marghitu's honors and awards are the following: 2011 AccessComputing Capacity Building Award, the 2012 Auburn University Access award, the 2012 Society for Design and Process Science Outstanding Achievement Award, the 2013 Microsoft Fuse Research award, the 2015 DO-IT Trailblazer award, the 2017 International Academy, Research, and Industry Association Fellowship, the 2017 Society for Design and Process Science Fellowship, and the 2019 Samuel Ginn College of Engineering 100+ Women Strong Leadership in Diversity Faculty Award.
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