Virtual and Augmented Reality Technologies for Product Realization

Published in the Annals of the CIRP, Vol. 48/2/1999. Our society expects engineers to develop products that are affordable, functional and sustainable. Effective product realization methods and tools are the answers to these societal expectations. In this paper, a new type of CAE tools, called virtual and augmented reality technologies, is introduced, reviewed and examined to reveal their great potentials in product realization. Specific areas where these emerging technologies can make a big difference are highlighted to illustrate the possible new paradigms of product realization. Subjects that require continuing R&D efforts to mature the technologies for real-world engineering applications are also identified. Product development engineers and virtual reality researchers should find this paper valuable to guide their efforts in developing a common road map for joint explorations. It is anticipated that the results from these joint explorations will enable engineers to deliver new products to the society across time, space and other boundaries with high efficiency and great ease in the future. Authors: S.C-Y. Lu (The IMPACT Laboratory, University of Southern California, USA), M. Shpitalni (R. Bar-Or, CAD Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering, TECHNION, ISRAEL), Rajit Gadh (The I-CARVE Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA).