ANGOLA, Ind. (WOWO) — Mechanical engineering students at Trine University will soon have a new way to practice their presentation skills.

A university project has received an $8,980 grant from the Engineering Information Foundation to improve how students communicate complex engineering ideas.

The yearlong project will be led by Gurudutt Chandrashekar, an associate professor in Trine’s Wade Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.

Beginning this fall, students in the Mechanical Engineering Capstone Design course will use a virtual reality platform called VirtualSpeech to practice technical presentations.

The platform will provide automated feedback on communication skills, including presentation clarity, pacing, confidence, audience engagement and delivery consistency.

Students will use the technology before major design milestones throughout the academic year, while faculty continue evaluating the technical quality of their presentations.

The project is designed to give students repeated opportunities to improve their communication skills and better prepare them for industry-style design reviews.