The 17th International Conference on Remote Engineering and Virtual Instrumentation (REV) drew scientists and industry leaders from around the world to the University of Georgia to share the latest research, insights, and trends in cross reality and data science in both engineering and education.

“When this annual gathering began in 2004, the Internet was not yet ten years old and Google had just been born. At that time, we didn’t know about many of the technologies we take for granted today,” said Michael Auer, CEO of the International Association of Online Engineering (IAOE).

The research presented at the event focused on how digital technologies, such as cross reality technologies, remote engineering, and big data, can spur success in teaching and learning in engineering education. For example, universities and educators around the globe are beginning to use virtual and augmented reality equipment or advanced online technology in their courses. This approach can make courses more flexible and bring the classroom closer to the professional world. Also, business and industry have successfully leveraged artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive profits – what are the opportunities and risks of using similar technologies to shape future generations of scientists?

The conference was co-organized by UGA’s Engineering Education Transformations Institute and UGA’s Georgia Informatics Institutes for Research and Education.

Dominik May, assistant professor in the UGA College of Engineering, served as the conference chair. Support was provided by industry and non-profit partners Phoenix Contact, LabsLand, Siemens, Underwriters Laboratories, the International E-Learning Association, and IEEE. In 2021 the REV conference will be held in Hong Kong.