In a significant push to modernize education for its students, the Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has launched an innovative virtual reality initiative in its schools. The civic body has introduced high-tech, multidimensional experience chairs designed to provide an immersive learning environment, particularly aimed at benefiting underprivileged children.
Stepping Into a Virtual Classroom
The project has taken off with the establishment of a dedicated Melzo Experience 7D Lab at a municipal high school located in Katargam. This pioneering lab, set up through a collaboration between SMC and Ganga Fashions Pvt Ltd, is equipped with five specialized chairs. Each of these advanced units comes with a price tag of approximately Rs 1.5 lakh.
The core idea is to move education beyond the limitations of traditional textbooks and slide presentations. By donning integrated VR headsets like the Meta Quest 2 and Meta Quest 3S, students are transported into a fully interactive, three-dimensional world related to their subjects.
How the 7D Experience Transforms Learning
The chairs are far from ordinary seating. They are engineered to move in multiple directions, recline, and even incorporate sensory effects like blowing air and spraying mist. This multi-sensory approach dramatically enhances the realism of the simulations, making abstract concepts tangible.
"Through the lab, students can conduct virtual experiments, gain hands-on training, and understand complex topics. The experience is seamless, intuitive, and highly captivating," shared an enthusiastic teacher from the school.
The educational content is meticulously aligned with the syllabus across various subjects and grade levels. This allows students to undertake virtual field trips to otherwise inaccessible locations—from the vastness of outer space and deep caves to significant historical landmarks.
A Vision for Inclusive and Engaging Education
The initiative was launched under the guidance of Municipal Commissioner Shalini Agarwal, with a clear vision to develop AR-VR labs across municipal schools. Dinesh Gurav, Deputy Municipal Commissioner, emphasized that the technology shifts learning from a passive activity to one of active participation.
School principal Ishita Joshi of Suman School 3 highlighted the dual benefit of the system. "It not only helps high-performing students improve their knowledge but also sparks interest among those who struggle with traditional learning methods," she explained. The immersive nature of the VR chairs is seen as a powerful tool to engage students who might otherwise lose interest.
This move by the Surat Municipal Corporation represents a forward-thinking investment in public education. By leveraging cutting-edge virtual reality and 7D simulation technology, SMC aims to bridge the educational gap and provide an equitable, experiential, and captivating learning journey for all its students, setting a new benchmark for municipal schools in India.
