OCTC Receives $593,464 NSF Grant to Develop VR Training

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (08/26/2021) — Owensboro Community and Technical College (OCTC) has received a $593,464 grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a virtual reality training application for advanced manufacturing. The project titled "Strengthening the Industry 4.0 Workforce through Virtual Reality Training" (NSF Award Number: 2142868) focuses on developing multi-skilled technicians with the industry 4.0 skills needed to increase efficiency and profitability for today's manufacturers.

The Advanced Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative (AMTEC), housed at OCTC, will lead the project for this new grant-funded initiative that begins on October 1, 2021.

To accomplish the objectives, the project will combine immersive and interactive mixed reality training experiences covering technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, smart-sensors, and the internet of things.

"We are very excited about this grant project. These efforts will promote a diverse, highly skilled, and globally competitive workforce in Kentucky and the nation. In the current and post COVID-19 era, introducing future technicians to industry 4.0 concepts is critically important to ensure a well-trained workforce is ready to fill the needs of industry," said Dr. Scott Williams, president of OCTC.

OCTC and AMTEC will collaborate with zSpace, a leader in virtual reality technology, to create an industry 4.0 virtual reality training application for college and secondary students across the country. This application will provide the opportunity for students to troubleshoot ten faults on the AMTEC advanced manufacturing industry simulator through a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment, which can be explored and interacted with by the students. The AMTEC simulator is a hands-on trainer that introduces students to the fundamentals of real-world integrated systems and components and sub-systems in context with real-world manufacturing.

The project team, led by OCTC's Jason Simon, the director of AMTEC, will develop virtual reality training courses with input from industry and education subject matter experts. This will include an exploratory curriculum for secondary students designed to engage students with gaming-like simulations. It will also incorporate a credit-bearing postsecondary curriculum to be used as a capstone course by manufacturing students at program completion. The industry 4.0 virtual reality application will be field tested by AMTEC educational partners in Washington, Michigan, and Kentucky.

Simon commented, "Now more than ever, industry and education have to partner together to train the workforce of tomorrow. This project is going to allow us to prepare technicians to enter into the ever-evolving field of advanced manufacturing utilizing cutting-edge technology."

Project partner Mary Batch, Talent Management Manager with Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas added, "There is a considerable gap in the labor market to obtain qualified talent. Everyone is aware of this. Our strategy is to position ourselves in creating and building a flexible & adaptable workforce that can navigate current and upcoming technology challenges. That, at the same time, drives long-term economic growth. New opportunities are needed in designing high-quality programs that require both educational partnerships and industry collaboration as part of strategic emphasis. This will expand opportunities that otherwise are unavailable to the communities by building up talent."

For more information on this innovative new project, contact Jason Simon at jason.simon@kctcs.edu or 270-686-4616.

About AMTEC

AMTEC is a collaborative of community and technical colleges and industry partners who seek to better prepare highly skilled technicians and manufacturing engineers for work in advanced manufacturing and technology. Beginning from an NSF ATE planning grant in 2004 (DUE 0442849), AMTEC, under the administration of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS), received NSF funding between 2006 and 2018 to serve as a National Center of Excellence in Automotive Manufacturing (DUE 0603327; DUE 0903193; and DUE 1304600). Upon completion of grant funding, KCTCS transitioned administration of AMTEC to OCTC in 2018. Since then, OCTC has continues to collaborate with educational and industry partners to promote advanced manufacturing training.

This "Strengthening the Industry 4.0 Workforce through Virtual Reality Training" project (NSF 2142868) is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

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