Virtual reality in engineering education: the future of creative learning

Virtual reality has achieved an adequate level of development for it to be considered in innovative applications such as education, training, and research in higher education. Virtual reality offers both opportunities and challenges for the educational sector. One of the challenges of virtual reality technology is the costs associated which have been unaffordable for educational institutes. However, in recent years, computer hardware and software development has made it more feasible to incorporate virtual reality technology into future teaching strategies. Despite the cost challenges, educational benefits of implementing virtual reality remain compelling. This paper explains virtual reality principle and describes the interactive educational environment developed at WMG, the University of Warwick. It also discusses the benefits of using state-of-the-art 3D photorealistic interactive and immersive virtual environment for engineering undergraduates and postgraduate teaching, learning and training

Virtual reality for visualisation of complex macrostructure

Virtual reality systems involve the integration of both hardware and software components. The hardware enables users to navigate, interact and become immersed in the virtual environment while underlying support software creates the virtual environment and integrates the hardware into a working system. Although virtual reality is widely used for product design visualisation in engineering, there exist a number of possible avenues where virtual reality can be very effective. This paper deals with viable industrial applications for the visualisation of internal details of complex macrostructure. This research paper is concerned with a bone scaffold and chainmill structure that is less than 10 millimeters in size with relatively complex interconnections. The paper discusses the significant advantages of visualising and interacting with 3D digital prototype models of such structures in a virtual environment over the original physical structure, rapid prototype model and other techniques

The use of laser scanning technology to improve the design process

Benchmarking competitor products helps a company to identify opportunities to improve their product relative to their competitors. This allows a company to determine the basic requirements of a new product, and target potential areas for improvement, particularly within the automotive industry where there is considerable growth and competition. Automotive firms have been increasingly focusing on development processes. Reducing time to market and improving quality whilst minimising cost. Laser scanning technology enables companies to make design and engineering improvements through the ability to analyse a competitor’s design. A case study of this generic process will be presented in this paper. The results have revealed that a company can create significant value-added activity, reduce the need for physical prototype costs and time, improve quality in new product development introduction

Acceptance and management of innovation in SMEs: immersive 3D visualisation

The role of innovation within businesses has grown tremendously over the decades, especially the use of information technologies that spans across a range of applications. The cost of technology is descending exponentially with time, leading to a fall in implementation costs, which consequently pushing more technologies within the reach of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). One such case is the new state of art technology which is becoming the innovative tool in new product development (NPD) in various sectors; immersive 3D visualisation. This technology has the potential to provide a distinctive advantage for business to continue as or become a leading player in their industry. As the pioneering technology can be integrated in NPD processes, or facilitate comprehension of complex information, as well as used in simulation, planning and training. Despite its huge potential in streamlining the innovation processes of companies, the adoption of the technology is not without risks in traditional areas such human resources and getting the expected returns. On the other hand, such risks can be mediated through careful planning and management, where the successful adoption of the technology can catapult the companies ahead of competitors. However, with the resource constraints and the current economic slumps, SMEs risk too much emphasis on short term savings and lose out on the long term to larger companies, which could have a detrimental effect on their own market place and survival. Furthermore, the ever-changing technology expectations of subsequent generations provides further pressure for companies to implement new technologies that can facilitate the innovation processes