The "Cognitive Engineering” Advanced Engineering School (AES) at Novosibirsk State University, together with technology companies in the region, are creating a virtual model of the Novosibirsk "Borok Quarry" crushed stone deposit. This model will be useful to students and businesses. It will help NSU Engineering MA students understand technological processes and make it possible for a quarry developer to create a single effective system for controlling production processes.
Anton Duchkov, Deputy Head of the Geophysics Section at the NSU Department of Geology and Geophysics, and AES specialist, explained,
We came up with the idea to create a virtual quarry in partnership with the company that is developing the Borok Quarry. Our goal is to make a 3D model of the Quarry, load it into VR, and embed monitoring systems to, for example, track the movement and positioning of vehicles or the state of a rock mass. In this way we get a live quarry model on which students can learn how to work with real objects in virtual space while our business partners are able to organize internal production processes and optimize work in their Quarry.
In early April, scientists used a drone to collect the necessary data to create the model. According to Duchkov, the final version of the model will be ready in the near future. The next step is the integration of the model into the VR space in the NSU VR lab.
The scientist noted,
The VR-studio is the first step towards modern quality education for future engineers at NSU. Equipping the VR studio is proceeding rapidly. The VR glasses have been installed and are connected to the TV so external observers can follow work on the model. A separate room for the laboratory will be built later. The Borok project is the first Advanced Engineering School VR project and will demonstrate the possibilities and prospects for interaction with industrial partners and the development of NSU educational programs.
