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University Professor is using Tears of the Kingdom to teach Machine Design and Engineering to Undergraduate Students

LakeOf9

Member


"The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom" isn't just the fastest-selling Nintendo game of all time. As the basis for a brand-new engineering course at the University of Maryland (UMD), the video game may now be at the forefront of a new movement in higher education.

When UMD Associate Professor Ryan D. Sochol realized how important machine design is to the gameplay of Nintendo's recent release, he devised a course that incorporates the game in place of traditional computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering software.
"As I played through "Tears of the Kingdom," I couldn't believe how much I was relying on my engineering training," said Sochol. "The more experience I had with the game's CAD assembly interface, numerous machine elements, and sophisticated physics, the more I felt it offered unique means to help students hone their skills in machine design."

Just a few months after the game's release, Sochol's "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to Machine Design" course launched in Fall 2023 to provide undergraduate students with an uncommon opportunity to gain experience designing, prototyping, and testing new types of vehicles, robots, and machines–all within the virtual world of the game.
Tears of the Kingdom stays winning!
 
Awesome idea, but does that mean he has to provide a switch as lab equipment? 🤔
Think About It GIF by Identity
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
Poor students, having to learn at 720p resolution.

If You Say So Wow GIF by Identity
Lol Game is 1080p

BTW, I guess if we all knew actual physics theory and how to apply them in professional software and real life scenarios, we would appreciate it's physical engine even more, the man seems to understand its greatness beyond any of us could lol
 

ChoosableOne

ChoosableAll
Universities always have one professor who wants to be the 'cool guy' that relate with the 'fellow youth' and come up with stuff like this.

There are even other games that do the engineering/physics part way better and in much more detail than TotK, but i suppose those aren't 'cool enough'.
Like this one:

 
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