Seeing the Invisible: A VR Approach to Radiation Attenuation Visualization for Nuclear Engineering Laboratory Practices

Abstract

The principle of “As Low As Reasonably Achievable” or ALARA is taught through laboratory practices composed of lectures and simulations to maintain the radiation exposure at a minimum. Hands-on practices are limited due to the health risks associated with radioactive exposure, leading to the development of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality simulations that pose no harm to trainees. This article presents the development of a virtual reality (VR) model for attenuating radiation visualization during runtime, employing numerical simulation with VR. Our attenuation model responds dynamically to the environment and does not rely on precalculated radiation fields as other works in the literature. Our approach also includes game elements to enhance the laboratory experience. Our goal is to understand the effects of the virtual environments on usability, engagement, completion time, and radiation dose exposure. Preliminary results indicate that the gamified version was found more engaging as participants felt more competent, less frustrated, and more immersed; it was also perceived as more usable with a SUS score of 81.87/100 in comparison to the nongamified with a SUS score of 58.12/100. Participants were faster when completing the nongamified version with an average of 103.28 ± SD 41.26 s in comparison to 175.31 ± SD 91.16 s with the gamified version. Finally, participants received 2.11 mSv less dose exposure with the nongamified version. We believe that practicing the ALARA principle in VR can offer insights on how trainees approach and work around radiation sources, as not necessarily the faster completion results in less exposure.