High Voltage VR Lab for scientific research and education

The adoption of immersive technologies is reshaping engineering education, particularly in high-risk fields such as high-voltage (HV) engineering, which plays a crucial role in modern urban energy infrastructure. This paper introduces VLab-HV, a 3D virtual laboratory developed in Unreal Engine 5 to support the “High Voltage Engineering” course for undergraduate students in Power Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Electromechanics. The study examines how immersive, gamified learning environments enhance educational outcomes, safety competence, and readiness to address urban energy infrastructure challenges. We hypothesize that VLab-HV substantially improves student engagement, knowledge retention, practical proficiency, and safety awareness compared to conventional laboratory settings, thereby contributing to the resilience of urban energy systems. The virtual laboratory includes ten curriculum-aligned experiments, interactive gamified tasks, and AI-driven instructional support, providing a safe and engaging environment for mastering HV concepts. Evaluation through usability testing, engagement analytics, and student surveys demonstrates significantly improved learning performance. The results underscore VLab-HV’s effectiveness in preparing future engineers and energy professionals for complex urban infrastructure challenges, with future developments aimed at incorporating multiplayer collaboration and full virtual reality (VR) capabilities.