Students use VR Headsets and Projects to Build Skills
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #1Newark student Bobby Wilkins working hard to prime his tumbler.
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #2Eric Garay of Plano primes his tumbler.
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #3Lucas Serby (Leland) uses the Oculus VR headset to practice painting skills.
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #4Leland student Jacob Morar works on his tumbler project.
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #5Indian Creek student Chrishan Davis primes his tumbler.
Launch the media gallery 1 player - media #6Leland student Tom Clifford operates the sprayer.
With the new school year started, students are working on building skills in Auto Body Repair. We have started with a fire extinguisher project, moved on to painting, and are now getting ready for our first customer projects.
We started the year off working through our safety program S/P2. This helped us learn not only how to work in the shop safely, but also what hazardous materials we will have to deal with while in the shop. We learned the importance of respirators, safety glasses, and how to handle hazardous materials like paint.
New this year was an opportunity to use a VR (Virtual Reality) headset in our paint training. We are using an Oculus headset and the Skillveri software to learn the basic movements and techniques for painting. While this will never take the place of actual painting this will allow us to start building the skills and muscle memory needed to become strong painters. So many of the skills in painting are gained through repetition; with the use of the VR headset we can begin building those skills.
Again this year, we have started our panel project for the Chicago Brushmasters and the World of Wheels, already completing about 50 of them. These metal panels are being painted by our class and will then be sent to the Chicago Brushmasters and their volunteer artists. These automotive artists will pinstripe, paint, and letter these panels to be auctioned off at the World of Wheels event in March. All money raised by this artwork will be donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland. The Chicago Brushmasters have helped donate nearly one million dollars to help families stay together in their time of greatest need.
Students are working on our annual Kustom Kup project where each student gets to custom paint a stainless steel tumbler. Students get to keep their Kustom Kup. This project allows us to continue the work on our painting skills as well as add some creativity to the job. We get to choose our own colors and designs to be painted.
This year looks to be another fun-filled year with lots more work on the horizon.