What happens in the Technology Lab

The DAF Technology Lab opened its virtual doors two months ago. But what happens there? Univers went there to see it.”Since the lab opened, a lot of people have been visiting to see it with 3d-glasses on”, says Dineke Kolen, the Technology Lab’s business developer. The lab, which fits 15 to 20 people, is supposed to introduce visitors to new forms of education and research.

“The visitors were very unanimous in their reactions,” says Kolen. “From the start, we receive positive reactions. Some projects in the lab have already started and scientists and companies show their interest. Some people just want to come and check it out, but it is not meant as the destination for a school trip. The lab is made for research and education.”

Development of education
The Technology Lab is used around three times a week. Teachers can visit demonstrations about the development of education. The classes that are taught are about neuroscience and data visualisation.

Dineke Kolen is positive about the developments in the lab: “Normally, students learn by looking at 2D images or a model, but in this lab the brain can be examined with 3D technology. It is a different way of educating students. Teachers notice that they get different questions when they teach in the lab.”

“Since the lab opened, a lot of people have been visiting to see it with 3d-glasses on”

Campione
Not only teachers use the lab. In the project ‘Campione’, 33 companies and institutions work together on employee training. Virtual reality could be useful to develop staff training, the project is meant to establish the effectiveness of these training sessions, based on eye movement, facial expressions, speech or gestures.

The companies involved, coming from the process industry, have large machine fleets that need a lot of maintenance. Mechanics can learn this from books of course, or scale models, but also through virtual reality. In the lab, researchers try to find out what method works best. “It is possible that some employees reach better results with a model, and others through virtual reality. That’s why we test the achievements as well”, says Kolen.

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