UTICA 鈥 The Utica Campus Automotive Technology program has some innovative new virtual reality technology to help students learn and train for careers.
zSpace is a virtual automotive shop that allows students to practice repair procedures multiple times, which will enable them to pick up new techniques quicker, said Eddie Perry, an instructor in the program.
鈥淚t allows us to do a lot of the things we do in the lab in the classroom,鈥 Perry said of the new teaching tool. 鈥淲e can disassemble engines. We can assemble engines. We can take parts out of the engine on the screen in 3D form and we turn that part around to get a better view.鈥
With聽zSpace, the automotive students now聽have the ability to聽run various simulations in a virtual automotive shop, allowing them to practice repair procedures multiple times. Perry believes this will allow him to teach his students new techniques quicker. 鈥淲e don’t have to wait on a vehicle to come to the shop. We can just open聽Zspace聽and model the repair in the classroom,鈥 he said.聽
Perry isn鈥檛 the only one excited about the introduction of the聽zSpace.
Freshman Wendell Griffin, 60, of Edwards, see this as an opportunity to hone his skills. Griffin has been working on cars since he was 17 and believes the聽zSpace聽can only help him better help is customers.
Wendell Griffin, Edwards, recieves assistance from Automotive Instructor Eddie Perry
鈥淵ou can kind of visualize what you are going to work on rather than going in there guessing,鈥 Griffin said. 鈥淚t just lays everything out and you can practice visually. That鈥檚 amazing, because聽a lot聽of the time when I tear an engine down, I鈥檓聽just guessing and you can damage stuff when you do that, plus it鈥檚 time-consuming.鈥
Fellow freshman Cortavious Ross, of Vicksburg, says he enjoys using聽zSpace聽but still likes the chance to work on actual vehicles.聽
Jonathan Townes, dean of Career and Technical Education, believes the zSpace will help current students and future students.
鈥淎s students continue to grow, technology is increasing and one thing we wanted to do was increase technology infrastructure. This will allow us the ability to satisfy the needs of聽tech-savvy聽future students who are more aware of virtual instruction,鈥 Townes said.
The new concept of auto shop should also better prepare students for post-college life.
鈥淚鈥檓 always trying to do whatever is needed to get them into the industry and get them jobs as quick as possible,鈥 Perry said. 鈥淭his will make them more prepared for the聽industry. With the聽zSpace, you can see and experience what the problems are and do it. But,聽it鈥檚聽not as hands-on.鈥澛
The聽zSpace聽was funded by a $24,000 allocation from federal CARES Act. The department was able to purchase聽the聽zSpace聽license聽on a large CPU and six student laptops.