Low-Cost Mobile VR for Maintenance 4.0 Education: A Mixed-Methods Needs Analysis in Resource-Constrained Training Institutes

Abstract

Industry 4.0 has redefined the role of the maintenance technician, but public training institutes in resource-constrained settings rarely have the budget to acquire the physical equipment required for practical instruction. This paper presents an exploratory sequential mixed-methods needs analysis and technology acceptance study to establish the conceptual basis for a future low-cost virtual reality (VR) prototype. We map how key stakeholders perceive current resource barriers and evaluate their acceptance of mobile-based VR. Thirtyfive semi-structured interviews (15 students, 10 teachers, and 10 industry managers) were conducted until theoretical saturation and analyzed using thematic coding. A survey using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)-informed acceptance items was then administered to 260 respondents (170 students, 50 teachers, and 40 industry professionals). The qualitative and quantitative phases converge. Equipment shortage is strongly recognized as a pedagogical bottleneck (EQ2: M = 4.55, SD = 0.61). Mobile VR is perceived as highly useful, particularly for mitigating the risk of material damage (PU2: M = 4.68, SD = 0.50), and a low-cost smartphone-plus-cardboard option is rated as both easy to use (PEOU1: M = 4.75, SD = 0.45) and highly sustainable (COST3: M = 4.78, SD = 0.46). A one-way ANOVA indicates that teachers rate the impact of budget on pedagogy higher than students do (p < 0.05), while industry managers prioritize the value of mistake-tolerant training. We outline how these empirical findings constrain and guide the design of a future on-device machine learning mobile VR architecture. This study provides a context-specific, stakeholder-informed foundation for mobile technology as a primary training vehicle rather than a peripheral delivery channel, without demonstrating direct learning effectiveness at this stage.