In recent years, the rapid growth of virtual reality has opened up new possibilities for creating immersive virtual worlds known as metaverses. With advancements in technology, such as virtual reality headsets, and the emergence of applications with social interaction, metaverses offer exciting opportunities for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. This article proposes the integration of metaverses into STEM courses, enabling students to forge connections between different subjects within their curriculum, to leverage current technological advancements, and to revolutionize project presentations and audience interaction. Drawing upon a case study conducted with students enrolled in the “Proyectos RII 1: Organización y Escenarios” course at the Escuela Politécnica Superior de Alcoy of the Technical University of Valencia (Spain), this article provides a comprehensive description of the methodology employed by the students and professors. It outlines the process followed, shedding light on the innovative use of metaverses in their projects. Moreover, the article shares valuable insights obtained through surveys and personal opinions gathered from students throughout the course and upon its completion. By exploring the intersection of metaverses and STEM education, this study showcases the transformative potential of integrating interactive virtual environments. Furthermore, this work highlights the benefits of increased student engagement, motivation, and collaboration, as well as the novel ways in which projects can be presented and interactions with audiences can be redefined.

Bio- and green composites are mainly used in non-structural automotive elements like interior panels and vehicle underpanels. Currently, the use of biocomposites as a worthy alternative to glass fibre-reinforced plastics (GFRPs) in structural applications still needs to be fully evaluated. In the current study, the development of a suited biocomposites started with a thorough review of the available raw materials, including both reinforcement fibres and matrix materials. Based on its specific properties, hemp appeared to be a very suitable fibre. A similar analysis was conducted for the commercially available biobased matrix materials. Greenpoxy 55 (with a biocontent of 55%) and Super Sap 100 (with a biocontent of 37%) were selected and compared with a standard epoxy resin. Tensile and three-point bending tests were conducted to characterise the hemp-based biocomposite.

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is an emerging solid state joining technology that allows welding most aluminum alloys that otherwise are difficult to weld by using conventional fusion based technologies. The technology is of particular interest for transport applications, since welded structures are considered to offer cost and weight savings. From a point of view of the joint geometries, FSW is mature for simple configurations. Most work to date has concentrated on butt welds and, only to a certain degree, on overlap configurations. Different designs such as T‐sections, corner welds, box sections… are then principally restricted to the use of butt weld configurations. However, it is necessary for FSW to be able to be applied to new geometries in order to spread its use to a wider range of applications. Present work explores the feasibility of producing corner fillet geometries using FSW. Although such a kind of geometry has traditionally been considered unfeasible for the process, it seems to have the greatest potential to be used for T‐joint configurations, a recurrent design pattern in transport applications. In order to study the feasibility of the proposed new joint geometry, a specific tool has been developed and a set of welds has been produced with it. Microstructure of the produced welds has been analyzed. According to the obtained results, the proposed joint geometry seems to be feasible. Main problem pending to solve is how to avoid the formation of a tunnel defect in the weld centre line due to a suck effect of the tool on the stirred material. Further improvements are proposed to produce welds with acceptable quality.