摘要
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operational training is often constrained by high equipment costs, safety risks, and limited training venues. In addition, novice operators may experience stress and anxiety in safety-risk environments, adversely affecting attention, decision-making, and task performance. To overcome these challenges, this study developed a virtual UAV training system using Unity and C#. The system enables bidirectional command communication and real-time state synchronization between virtual and physical UAVs through UDP-based communication. A quasi-experimental design was employed to evaluate the system’s technical feasibility and training performance. Sixty university students without prior UAV experience were assigned to either the virtual or physical training group. Learning performance was assessed in terms of knowledge acquisition, flight performance, learning motivation, cognitive load, and technology acceptance. Results showed that both groups demonstrated significant improvements in knowledge and flight performance, with statistical/practical equivalence within a prespecified margin after training, indicating comparable learning achievement. The virtual training group obtained higher “Relevance” scores on the ARCS motivation scale but experienced greater extraneous cognitive load, whereas the physical training group showed higher technology acceptance. Overall, the proposed system provides a safe, flexible, and effective alternative to conventional physical UAV training. Future work may optimize the user interface to reduce extraneous cognitive load and enhance technology acceptance, improving its applicability in skills-oriented education and training.