PRODUCT NEWS
VIRTUAL REALITY HEADSET AIMS TO ATTRACT YOUNG PEOPLE TO WELDING CAREERS
N
ew from Lincoln Electric, the Voyage Arc VR Headset is designed to inspire and engage
younger students with a captivating, immersive experience. In June 2023, the company added this cutting-edge new product to its education lineup in the US, and recently launched in the UK. The Voyage Arc Virtual Reality welding
headset is an interactive, immersive classroom platform that introduces students to welding fundamentals. The tool is designed to spark interest in careers involving welding by enabling tech-savvy students to learn in a virtual setting that many of them already enjoy in real life – an amusement park. In addition to the immersive experience,
the Voyage Arc headset incorporates video gaming elements to keep the student motivated. As the learners master each lesson, they are rewarded with ‘Spark’ points they can use to customise their virtual welding helmets. As they don the Voyage Arc all-in-one headset, students leave the distractions of the classroom behind and are transported to a realistic, virtual amusement park where they are tasked with ‘welding’ park equipment such as a roller coaster, Ferris wheel, sky drop ride or bumper car, before earning a virtual ride. “Lincoln Electric is committed to
ensuring that as experienced welders retire, the next generation is ready and qualified to take their place,” says Denise Sirochman, Product Manager, Lincoln Electric, Cleveland, US. “The Voyage Arc headset enables us to reach up-and-coming generations of learners and get them excited about careers in welding by letting them experience it for themselves
in a safe, fun and engaging way.” Steve Purnell, National Sales Manager, UK adds: “The Voyage Arc is the next evolution of the comprehensive Lincoln Electric welder training solution. It adds the provision of the foundation knowledge in a fully immersive virtual environment.”
How it works
Each student takes a self-guided tour through the amusement park by following narration and interactive instructions, stopping along the way to take 10 individual lessons. With visual cues and repetitive knowledge checks, students are introduced to the common welding techniques of GMAW and SMAW and learn critical skills such as travel speed, position and contact tip to work distance. The student practices each technique and then uses their new skills to repair familiar rides. Delivered in bite-sized bursts, the
self-paced, microlearning lessons enable students to easily save their progress and quickly pick up where they left off, and can be individually selected and repeated, as required. Topics covered include introduction
to safety and elements of PPE; learning about common joints; introduction to GMAW and SMAW.
34 / WELDING WORLD MAGAZINE - ISSUE 02 - MARCH 2024
www.lincolnelectric.com The Voyage Arc VR Career Exploration
Tool is classroom-ready and can be incorporated into existing lesson plans or used as the foundation for new curricula. The optional LAN system and software enables teachers, who do not need to be proficient in welding themselves, to monitor and view student scores, skills comprehension and completed lessons, and track the entire class’s progress with a simple dashboard. The headsets are available in sets of 10 and 20, so that ideally each student can have their own headset. The Voyage Arc headset is suitable
for anyone wanting to learn the basics of welding but is designed to appeal to Upper-Primary/Secondary school students. Each headset features comfortable, wipe-clean facial padding, a focal adjustment wheel to compensate for different vision requirements, and a brightness adjustment to suit individual requirements. Students can even wear eyeglasses with the headset. To learn more about the Voyage Arc
Virtual Reality Welding Career Exploration Tool, visit the web link below.
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