A Review of the Capabilities of Current Low-Cost Virtual Reality Technology and Its Potential to Enhance the Design Process

In the past few years, there have been some significant advances in consumer virtual reality (VR) devices. Devices such as the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, Leap Motion Controller, and Microsoft Kinect R are bringing immersive VR experiences into the homes of consumers with much lower cost and space requirements than previous generations of VR hardware. These new devices are also lowering the barrier to entry for VR engineering applications. Past research has suggested that there are significant opportunities for using VR during design tasks to improve results and reduce development time. This work reviews the latest generation of VR hardware and reviews research studying VR in the design process. Additionally, this work extracts the major themes from the reviews and discusses how the latest technology and research may affect the engineering design process. We conclude that these new devices have the potential to significantly improve portions of the design process. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4036921]

[1]  Hiroshi Ishida,et al.  Multi-sensorial field display: Presenting spatial distribution of airflow and odor , 2011, 2011 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference.

[2]  H. Henrik Ehrsson,et al.  Being Barbie: The Size of One’s Own Body Determines the Perceived Size of the World , 2011, PloS one.

[3]  Ramani Duraiswami,et al.  Fast head-related transfer function measurement via reciprocity. , 2006, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[4]  Monica Bordegoni,et al.  Haptic technologies for the conceptual and validation phases of product design , 2006, Comput. Graph..

[5]  Ivan Marsic,et al.  Sharing viewpoints in collaborative virtual environments , 2001, Proceedings of the 34th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences.

[6]  Bert Bras,et al.  A Haptic Assembly and Disassembly Simulation Environment and Associated Computational Load Optimization Techniques , 2001, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[7]  Bernd Fröhlich,et al.  The two-user Responsive Workbench: support for collaboration through individual views of a shared space , 1997, SIGGRAPH.

[8]  António M. Lopes,et al.  A review of virtual reality and haptics for product assembly: from rigid parts to soft cables , 2013 .

[9]  Judy M. Vance,et al.  Effectiveness of Haptic Sensation for the Evaluation of Virtual Prototypes , 2001, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[10]  Jonathan Steuer,et al.  Defining virtual reality: dimensions determining telepresence , 1992 .

[11]  Charles B. Owen,et al.  Individual variation in susceptibility to cybersickness , 2014, UIST.

[12]  G. Gary Wang,et al.  Definition and Review of Virtual Prototyping , 2002, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[13]  Vincent Rieuf,et al.  Immersive moodboards, a comparative study of industrial design inspiration material , 2015 .

[14]  W. M. Rabinowitz,et al.  Auditory localization of nearby sources. Head-related transfer functions. , 1999, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[15]  Monica Bordegoni,et al.  Designing interaction with consumer products in a multisensory virtual reality environment , 2013 .

[16]  Takuji Narumi,et al.  Olfactory feedback system to improve the concentration level based on biological information , 2011, 2011 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference.

[17]  Kosuke Ishii,et al.  Evaluation Methodology for Post-manufacturing Issues in Life-cycle Design , 1993 .

[18]  Makoto Sato,et al.  Tension based 7-DOF force feedback device: SPIDAR-G , 2002, Proceedings IEEE Virtual Reality 2002.

[19]  Maria V. Sanchez-Vives,et al.  Extending Body Space in Immersive Virtual Reality: A Very Long Arm Illusion , 2012, PloS one.

[20]  Steve Bryson,et al.  The virtual wind tunnel , 1992, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[21]  Grigore C. Burdea.  Haptic Feedback for Virtual Reality 1 , 1999 .

[22]  W. W. Royce,et al.  Managing the development of large software systems , 1970 .

[23]  Takamichi Nakamoto,et al.  Olfactory display using a miniaturized pump and a SAW atomizer for presenting low-volatile scents , 2011, 2011 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference.

[24]  Simone Spagnol,et al.  Enhancing vertical localization with image-guided selection of non-individual head-related transfer functions , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal Processing (ICASSP).

[25]  Jennifer Healey,et al.  Augmented Reality through Wearable Computing , 1997, Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments.

[26]  F L Wightman,et al.  Localization using nonindividualized head-related transfer functions. , 1993, The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America.

[27]  Merlijn Kouprie,et al.  A framework for empathy in design: stepping into and out of the user's life , 2009 .

[28]  Judy M. Vance,et al.  Coupling of interactive manufacturing operations simulation and immersive virtual reality , 2010, Virtual Reality.

[29]  Mark Billinghurst,et al.  Shared space: An augmented reality approach for computer supported collaborative work , 1998, Virtual Reality.

[30]  Frederick P. Brooks,et al.  Project GROPEHaptic displays for scientific visualization , 1990, SIGGRAPH.

[31]  Monica Bordegoni,et al.  Can Interactive Finite Element Analysis Improve the Learning of Mechanical Behavior of Materials? A Case Study , 2015 .

[32]  Christoph Bregler,et al.  Motion capture assisted animation: texturing and synthesis , 2002, ACM Trans. Graph..

[33]  Larry S. Davis,et al.  Rendering localized spatial audio in a virtual auditory space , 2004, IEEE Transactions on Multimedia.

[34]  Michael F. Deering,et al.  HoloSketch: a virtual reality sketching/animation tool , 1995, TCHI.

[35]  Pingjun Xia,et al.  Haptics for Product Design and Manufacturing Simulation , 2016, IEEE Transactions on Haptics.

[36]  Lakshmi Kurup,et al.  A Review Paper on Oculus Rift & Project Morpheus , 2014 .

[37]  Christian D. Schunn,et al.  Do the best design ideas (really) come from conceptually distant sources of inspiration , 2015 .

[38]  John C. Hart,et al.  The CAVE: audio visual experience automatic virtual environment , 1992, CACM.

[39]  Steve Benford,et al.  MASSIVE: a distributed virtual reality system incorporating spatial trading , 1995, Proceedings of 15th International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems.

[40]  Julie M. Drexler,et al.  Cybersickness is Not Simulator Sickness , 1997 .

[41]  Ridha Hambli,et al.  Real-time deformation of structure using finite element and neural networks in virtual reality applications , 2006 .

[42]  Monica Bordegoni,et al.  Evaluating Industrial Products in an Innovative Visual-Olfactory Environment , 2016, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[43]  Fabio Bruno,et al.  Visualization of industrial engineering data in Augmented Reality , 2006, J. Vis..

[44]  Mel Slater,et al.  A first person avatar system with haptic feedback , 2010, VRST '10.

[45]  Bert Bras,et al.  Collision Detection for Virtual Objects in a Haptic Assembly and Disassembly Simulation Environment , 2002 .

[46]  Thomas H. Massie,et al.  The PHANToM Haptic Interface: A Device for Probing Virtual Objects , 1994 .

[47]  Max F. Platzer,et al.  Bio-inspired design of flapping-wing micro air vehicles , 2005, The Aeronautical Journal (1968).

[48]  Takuji Narumi,et al.  Pseudo-gustatory display system based on cross-modal integration of vision, olfaction and gustation , 2011, 2011 IEEE Virtual Reality Conference.

[49]  Judy M. Vance,et al.  Interacting With Grasped Objects in Expanded Haptic Workspaces Using the Bubble Technique , 2015, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[50]  Judy M. Vance,et al.  Virtual reality for assembly methods prototyping: a review , 2011, Virtual Reality.

[51]  Parth Rajesh Desai,et al.  A Review Paper on Oculus Rift-A Virtual Reality Headset , 2014, ArXiv.

[52]  Lucy Y. Pao,et al.  Shock and vortex visualization using a combined visual/Haptic interface , 2000 .

[53]  Mascha C. van der Voort,et al.  A new product design method based on virtual reality, gaming and scenarios , 2008 .

[54]  Joaquim A. Jorge,et al.  Mockup builder: direct 3D modeling on and above the surface in a continuous interaction space , 2012, Graphics Interface.

[55]  Carole Bouchard,et al.  In Search of Design Inspiration: A Semantic-Based Approach , 2010, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[56]  Jonas Fritsch,et al.  Storytelling and repetitive narratives for design empathy: Case suomenlinna , 2007, Nordes 2007: Design Inquiries.

[57]  Dieter Schmalstieg,et al.  “Studierstube”: An environment for collaboration in augmented reality , 1998, Virtual Reality.

[58]  Sander Oude Elberink,et al.  Accuracy and Resolution of Kinect Depth Data for Indoor Mapping Applications , 2012, Sensors.

[59]  Yoseph Bar-Cohen,et al.  Haptic Devices for Virtual Reality, Telepresence, and Human-Assistive Robotics , 2003 .

[60]  Umberto Cugini,et al.  Mixed prototyping for product assessment: a reference framework , 2009 .

[61]  Kevin Forsberg,et al.  4.4.3 A Visual Explanation of Development Methods and Strategies including the Waterfall, Spiral, Vee, Vee+, and Vee++ Models , 2001 .

[62]  James M. Ragusa,et al.  Improving Integrated Project Team Interaction Through Virtual (3D) Collaboration , 2004 .

[63]  Frederick Victor Thompson.  Evaluation of a commodity VR interaction device for gestural object manipulation in a three dimensional work environment , 2014 .

[64]  Diego Borro,et al.  A large haptic device for aircraft engine maintainability , 2004, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[65]  Joze Guna,et al.  An Analysis of the Precision and Reliability of the Leap Motion Sensor and Its Suitability for Static and Dynamic Tracking , 2014, Sensors.

[66]  T. Pintaric,et al.  Affordable Infrared-Optical Pose-Tracking for Virtual and Augmented Reality , 2007 .

[67]  Dimitris Mavrikios,et al.  A Web and Virtual Reality-based Platform for Collaborative Product Review and Customisation , 2009 .

[68]  Thomas A. DeFanti,et al.  Distributed Virtual Reality: Supporting Remote Collaboration in Vehicle Design , 1997, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications.

[69]  Ralph Spolenak,et al.  Adhesion design maps for bio-inspired attachment systems. , 2005, Acta biomaterialia.

[70]  Steve Bryson,et al.  The virtual windtunnel-an environment for the exploration of three-dimensional unsteady flows , 1991, Proceeding Visualization '91.

[71]  Grigore C. Burdea,et al.  Haptics issues in virtual environments , 2000, Proceedings Computer Graphics International 2000.

[72]  Judy M. Vance,et al.  Assessment of VR Technology and its Applications to Engineering Problems , 2001, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[73]  Sarah A. Sheard,et al.  TWELVE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING ROLES , 1996 .

[74]  Ruzena Bajcsy,et al.  Evaluation of Pose Tracking Accuracy in the First and Second Generations of Microsoft Kinect , 2015, 2015 International Conference on Healthcare Informatics.

[75]  Christian Noon,et al.  A system for rapid creation and assessment of conceptual large vehicle designs using immersive virtual reality , 2012, Comput. Ind..

[76]  Luo Bin,et al.  Development an interactive VR training for CNC machining , 2004, VRCAI '04.

[77]  Theodore Lim,et al.  Haptic virtual reality assembly – Moving towards Real Engineering Applications , 2010 .

[78]  Dieter Schmalstieg,et al.  Using neuromuscular electrical stimulation for pseudo-haptic feedback , 2006, VRST '06.

[79]  C. Cobelli,et al.  A Markerless Motion Capture System to Study Musculoskeletal Biomechanics: Visual Hull and Simulated Annealing Approach , 2006, Annals of Biomedical Engineering.

[80]  Colin Ware,et al.  Evaluating stereo and motion cues for visualizing information nets in three dimensions , 1996, TOGS.

[81]  Ivan E. Sutherland,et al.  A head-mounted three dimensional display , 1968, AFIPS Fall Joint Computing Conference.

[82]  Samuel A. Miller,et al.  Low-cost, portable, multi-wall virtual reality , 2005, EGVE'05.

[83]  Vincent Hayward,et al.  Haptic interfaces and devices , 2004 .

[84]  Elizabeth F. Churchill,et al.  Collaborative virtual environments: An introductory review of issues and systems , 1998, Virtual Reality.

[85]  Thad Starner,et al.  A review of head-mounted displays (HMD) technologies and applications for consumer electronics , 2013, Defense, Security, and Sensing.

[86]  Giuseppe Monno,et al.  Interactive 'touch and see' FEM Simulation using Augmented Reality , 2009 .

[87]  Axel Pinz,et al.  A new optical tracking system for virtual and augmented reality applications , 2001, IMTC 2001. Proceedings of the 18th IEEE Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference. Rediscovering Measurement in the Age of Informatics (Cat. No.01CH 37188).

[88]  Alberto Lozano-Rodero,et al.  The Influence of Interaction Technology on the Learning of Assembly Tasks Using Virtual Reality , 2014, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[89]  Michael Friis Sørensen,et al.  Head-Related Transfer Functions of Human Subjects , 1995 .

[90]  Douglas Brungart,et al.  Near-field auditory localization , 1998 .

[91]  Akihiko Yokoyama,et al.  An Integrated Environment for Testing and Assessing the Usability of Information Appliances Using Digital and Physical Mock-Ups , 2007, HCI.

[92]  Tek-Jin Nam,et al.  Integrating hardware and software: augmented reality based prototyping method for digital products , 2003, CHI Extended Abstracts.

[93]  Yoichi Sato,et al.  Fast tracking of hands and fingertips in infrared images for augmented desk interface , 2000, Proceedings Fourth IEEE International Conference on Automatic Face and Gesture Recognition (Cat. No. PR00580).

[94]  Odd Tullberg,et al.  A framework for immersive FEM visualisation using transparent object communication in a distributed network environment , 2002 .

[95]  Jeffrey S. Norris,et al.  Immersive and collaborative data visualization using virtual reality platforms , 2014, 2014 IEEE International Conference on Big Data (Big Data).

[96]  Maria V. Sanchez-Vives,et al.  First Person Experience of Body Transfer in Virtual Reality , 2010, PloS one.

[97]  J. Rolland,et al.  Head-worn displays: a review , 2006, Journal of Display Technology.

[98]  Gabriel Zachmann,et al.  Virtual reality as a tool for verification of assembly and maintenance processes , 1999, Comput. Graph..

[99]  Anton Jezernik,et al.  A framework for collaborative product review , 2009 .

[100]  Peter Zimmermann,et al.  Virtual reality-new methods for improving and accelerating the development process in vehicle styling and design , 1998, Proceedings. Computer Graphics International (Cat. No.98EX149).

[101]  T. Ward,et al.  Development of a wearable motion capture suit and virtual reality biofeedback system for the instruction and analysis of sports rehabilitation exercises , 2007, 2007 29th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society.

[102]  Giuseppe Conti,et al.  JCAD-VR:: a collaborative design tool for architects , 2002, CVE '02.

[103]  Chongyang Ma,et al.  Facial performance sensing head-mounted display , 2015, ACM Trans. Graph..

[104]  J. Harvey Evans.  BASIC DESIGN CONCEPTS , 2009 .

[105]  Simon Davis,et al.  Comparing the onset of cybersickness using the Oculus Rift and two virtual roller coasters , 2015 .

[106]  Kosuke Ishii,et al.  AI methods for life-cycle serviceability design of mechanical systems , 1993, Artif. Intell. Eng..

[107]  Gerold Wesche,et al.  A Three-stage Conceptual Design Process Using Virtual Environments , 2004, WSCG.

[108]  Monica Bordegoni,et al.  Integration of realtime finite element analysis and haptic feedback for hands-on learning of the mechanical behavior of materials , 2013 .

[109]  Monica Bordegoni,et al.  Haptic and Sound Interface for Shape Rendering , 2010, PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments.

[110]  Carolina Cruz-Neira,et al.  XGobi vs the C2: Results of an experiment comparing data visualization in a 3-D immersive virtual reality environment with a 2-D workstation display , 1999, Comput. Stat..

[111]  Kurt M. Satter,et al.  Finding the Value of Immersive, Virtual Environments Using Competitive Usability Analysis , 2012, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[112]  Joaquim A. Jorge,et al.  Mockup Builder: 3D modeling on and above the surface , 2013, Comput. Graph..

[113]  J. M. Ritchie,et al.  Immersive Virtual Reality In Cable and Pipe Routing: Design Metaphors and Cognitive Ergonomics , 2004, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[114]  T. B. Ward.  Structured Imagination: the Role of Category Structure in Exemplar Generation , 1994, Cognitive Psychology.

[115]  António M. Lopes,et al.  A review of virtual reality and haptics for product assembly (part 1): rigid parts , 2013 .

[116]  Ernest A. Edmonds,et al.  Approaches to interactive art systems , 2004, GRAPHITE '04.

[117]  Mel Slater,et al.  The Sense of Embodiment in Virtual Reality , 2012, PRESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments.

[118]  Joaquim A. Jorge,et al.  IMPROVE: An innovative application for collaborative mobile mixed reality design review , 2007 .

[119]  Tabitha C. Peck,et al.  Putting yourself in the skin of a black avatar reduces implicit racial bias , 2013, Consciousness and Cognition.

[120]  Rikard Söderberg,et al.  Increased Concurrency between Industrial and Engineering Design Using CAT Technology Combined with Virtual Reality , 2003, Concurr. Eng. Res. Appl..

[121]  S. Kim,et al.  A Novel Seven Degree of Freedom Haptic Device for Engineering Design , 2003, Virtual Reality.

[122]  Giuseppe Monno,et al.  Distributed design review using tangible augmented technical drawings , 2010, Comput. Aided Des..

[123]  Vincent G. Duffy,et al.  An Internet virtual reality collaborative environment for effective product design , 2001, Comput. Ind..

[124]  M. Slater,et al.  Multisensory Stimulation Can Induce an Illusion of Larger Belly Size in Immersive Virtual Reality , 2011, PloS one.

[125]  Petra Badke-Schaub,et al.  What inspires designers? Preferences on inspirational approaches during idea generation , 2014 .

[126]  Yifan Liu,et al.  An evaluation of immersive virtual reality systems for design reviews , 2013 .

[127]  H. Creagh.  Cave Automatic Virtual Environment , 2003, Proceedings: Electrical Insulation Conference and Electrical Manufacturing and Coil Winding Technology Conference (Cat. No.03CH37480).

[128]  Frank Weichert,et al.  Analysis of the Accuracy and Robustness of the Leap Motion Controller , 2013, Sensors.

[129]  Pat P. Banerjee,et al.  Measuring the Effectiveness of Presence and Immersive Tendencies on the Conceptual Design Review Process , 2003, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[130]  Stefan Carlsson,et al.  Monocular 3D Reconstruction of Human Motion in Long Action Sequences , 2004, ECCV.

[131]  Joseph J. LaViola,et al.  A discussion of cybersickness in virtual environments , 2000, SGCH.

[132]  Judy M. Vance,et al.  Applying virtual reality techniques to the interactive stress analysis of a tractor lift arm , 2000 .

[133]  Fabio Bruno,et al.  Product interface design: A participatory approach based on virtual reality , 2010, Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud..

[134]  Kevin Forsberg,et al.  The Relationship of System Engineering to the Project Cycle , 1991 .

[135]  William M. Hartmann,et al.  How we localize sound , 1999 .

[136]  F Zorriassatine,et al.  A survey of virtual prototyping techniques for mechanical product development , 2003 .

[137]  Claudia Eckert,et al.  Fortune Favours Only the Prepared Mind: Why Sources of Inspiration are Essential for Continuing Creativity , 1998 .

[138]  Steve Bryson.  Virtual reality in scientific visualization , 1993, Comput. Graph..

[139]  Antonio Frisoli,et al.  A force-feedback exoskeleton for upper-limb rehabilitation in virtual reality , 2009 .

[140]  Jun Gao,et al.  A visualization system for integrating maintainability design and evaluation at product design stage , 2012 .

[141]  C M Greenhalgh,et al.  Evaluating the network and usability characteristics of virtual reality conferencing , 1997 .

[142]  Umberto Cugini,et al.  Interactive Virtual Prototypes for Testing the Interaction with new Products , 2013 .

[143]  Anders Ynnerman,et al.  Haptic visualization of computational fluid dynamics data using reactive forces , 2005, IS&T/SPIE Electronic Imaging.

[144]  Monica Bordegoni,et al.  Prototyping strategies for multisensory product experience engineering , 2015, Journal of Intelligent Manufacturing.

[145]  Imre Horváth,et al.  Framework for testing and validating Interactive Augmented Prototyping as a Design Means in Industrial Practice , 2006 .

[146]  Ivan Poupyrev,et al.  Mixing realities in Shared Space: an augmented reality interface for collaborative computing , 2000, 2000 IEEE International Conference on Multimedia and Expo. ICME2000. Proceedings. Latest Advances in the Fast Changing World of Multimedia (Cat. No.00TH8532).

[147]  Martin S. Banks,et al.  A stereo display prototype with multiple focal distances , 2004, SIGGRAPH 2004.

[148]  Gordon Wetzstein,et al.  The light field stereoscope , 2015, ACM Trans. Graph..

[149]  Kurt M. Satter,et al.  Competitive Usability Analysis of Immersive Virtual Environments in Engineering Design Review , 2015, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[150]  Raffaele de Amicis,et al.  Spacedesign: A Mixed Reality Workspace for Aesthetic Industrial Design , 2002, ISMAR.

[151]  Bernd Hamann,et al.  Visualization of particle traces in virtual environments , 2001, VRST '01.

[152]  Sherif El-Tawil,et al.  FEMvrml: An interactive virtual environment for visualization of finite element simulation results , 2008, Adv. Eng. Softw..

[153]  Tilak Dutta,et al.  Evaluation of the Kinect™ sensor for 3-D kinematic measurement in the workplace. , 2012, Applied ergonomics.

[154]  Steve Benford,et al.  Collaborative virtual environments , 2001, CACM.

[155]  Joe Cecil,et al.  Virtual engineering approaches in product and process design , 2007 .

[156]  Jason Jerald,et al.  Distributed design review in virtual environments , 2000, CVE '00.

[157]  Matt Gynn,et al.  Virtual Automotive Maintenance and Service Confirmation , 2015 .

[158]  Stefan Marks,et al.  Towards the Holodeck: Fully Immersive Virtual Reality Visualisation of Scientific and Engineering Data , 2014, IVCNZ '14.

[159]  Grace M. Bochenek,et al.  Analyzing the Relationship of Presence and Immersive Tendencies on the Conceptual Design Review Process , 2002, J. Comput. Inf. Sci. Eng..

[160]  J. Bailenson,et al.  Virtual Superheroes: Using Superpowers in Virtual Reality to Encourage Prosocial Behavior , 2013, PloS one.

[161]  Sang Do Noh,et al.  Virtual reality applications in manufacturing industries: Past research, present findings, and future directions , 2015, Concurr. Eng. Res. Appl..

[162]  Carolina Cruz-Neira,et al.  Surround-Screen Projection-Based Virtual Reality: The Design and Implementation of the CAVE , 2023 .

[163]  Marcia C. Linn,et al.  The Role of Spatial Reasoning in Engineering and the Design of Spatial Instruction , 1997 .