1. A virtual blasting system for removing coatings and/or rust from a virtual surface, the system comprising: a display screen on which a virtual surface is displayed, the virtual surface having an image of one or more coatings and/or rust over an underlying virtual surface which can be removed during operation of the system; a blasting nozzle controller outputting at least one signal indicating whether the blasting nozzle controller is in an open position or in a closed position; a motion tracking system that tracks the position and orientation of the blasting nozzle controller; and a computer programmed with software which generates virtual blast pattern data in response to at least the position and orientation data received from the tracking system and the signal indicating whether the blasting nozzle controller is in an “on” position or is in an “off” position; wherein an image of the one or more coatings and/or rust displayed on the virtual surface is removed from the virtual surface in real time in accordance with the effect of the virtual blast pattern with respect to each location on the virtual surface.