AR Tunnel: An augmented-reality digital twin for immersive learning of wind tunnel laboratories

Engineering labs face constraints on time, safety, and access, making it difficult for students to develop robust procedural schemas and visualize invisible flow phenomena. We present AR Tunnel, an augmented-reality (AR) digital twin of a university wind tunnel. Its theoretical design draws on cognitive load and multimedia learning principles, along with situated learning via contextualized rehearsal. Pilot testing with students indicated strong user acceptance, identified usability issues, and guided iterative refinements to navigation, performance modes, and instructional content. In controlled tests with undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts, AR pre-lab preparation was compared with equivalent slide-based preparation. Although both groups reported similar increases in self-assessed familiarity after the hands-on lab, students who prepared with AR Tunnel achieved significantly higher scores on objective knowledge quizzes across both cohorts (<i>p</i>&lt;0.05). Within the AR groups, higher engagement – measured across behavioral, emotional, and cognitive dimensions – correlated positively with quiz performance (Spearman’s <i>ρ</i>≈0.42–0.48, <i>p</i>&lt;0.05), suggesting that active exploration mediated learning gains. AR Tunnel therefore functions as a scalable preparatory resource that complements, rather than replaces, in-person lab instruction. Future work should measure retention and transfer, disentangle gamification and scaffolding effects, and evaluate mixed-reality overlays during live-lab operation. © 2026 The Authors.