Virtual factory design--a new tool for a co-operative planning approach

The Institute of Production Systems and Logistics (IFA), University of Hannover, is investigating the virtual-reality modelling of factories in a way that takes into consideration the different viewpoints of all specialists involved in the planning. The goal is to define clearly these points of view and to visualize them in the model with the help of virtual reality. The fact that everyone's view of the common model is oriented to their own needs and demands adds a further, as yet unrecognized, value to the deployment of virtual reality in factory planning. This article presents the latest research results with examples from a current case study.