Andres Werner wore a welder's mask as he guided his torch over a target, but there were no sparks, heat or fumes to worry about.

The welding torch was a joystick, and the surface was a video screen.

But it resembled the real thing, right down to the crackling noise that initially attracted the German researcher's attention.

"My welding experience is 25 years old, so it's not 100 percent anymore," he said.

"This might help me get a steadier hand."

The virtual welding simulation was just one of the demonstrations at the 2009 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference at the Cajundome Convention Center.

The conference drew about 300 academic and industrial researchers from around the world to Lafayette.

Virtual reality may seem like a futuristic concept, but it actually has many practical uses today, said Christoph Borst, assistant professor at the Center for Advanced Computer Studies at UL.

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Jeff Moore • jeffmoore@theadvertiser.com • March 18, 2009