Valmiera Technical School introduces a 3D virtual cave during Digital Week

What is a 3D virtual cave, how does it work, and what is it useful for? Answers to these and other questions were provided during the demonstration lesson “3D Virtual Cave in Education and Business”, organised by Valmiera Technical School. On 24 March, those interested from all over Latvia had the opportunity to learn how it can be used in education and business.

During the online demonstration lesson, we explained and showed that a virtual cave is a four-sided spatial training room that makes it possible to create life-size visualisations. By developing and integrating suitable content into the 3D virtual cave, the technology provides significant support to future mechatronics, metalworking and logistics specialists, as well as programming technicians. By creating models of any object or automated system and transferring them into 3D virtual reality, students can simulate and test the functionality of the object, as well as its design and the compatibility of its components.

“Entrepreneurs, in turn, can come to the 3D virtual cave to test their product ideas even before developing prototypes, saving time and resources when correcting deficiencies. Likewise, if an architect has designed a building, we can project it in the virtual cave, walk through it and see what it looks like from the inside,” explains Jānis Riba, a vocational education teacher at Valmiera Technical School, describing the technology’s wide range of possibilities.

The demonstration lesson took place as part of European Digital Week in Latvia, which was held from 22 to 26 March. It was organised by the Latvian Information and Communications Technology Association in cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development.

The innovative educational technology was acquired as part of the “European Next Generation Small City” project. The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund under the “Urban Innovative Actions” initiative. This information reflects solely the author’s opinion, and the institutions of the “Urban Innovative Actions” initiative are not responsible for the possible uses of this information.

Valmiera Technical School is one of the most modernly equipped educational institutions in Latvia and Eastern Europe, offering young people the opportunity to acquire vocational secondary education in 11 different specialisations. In a modern and innovative environment, students can acquire skills in renewable energy, hospitality, customer service, food processing, culinary arts, financial management, logistics and telematics, mechatronics, programming, mechanical engineering and metalworking.

Information prepared by: 

Liene Bergmane

Public Relations Specialist

liene.bergmane@valmierastehnikums.lv