Tools and Techniques for Conceptual Design in Virtual Reality Environment

Volume 12 Issue 4 May - July 2017

Article

Tools and Techniques for Conceptual Design in Virtual Reality Environment

Sandeep Gandotra*, Harish Pungotra**

* Research Scholar, IKG Punjab Technical University, Kapurthala, Punjab, India.

** Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Beant College of Engineering & Technology, Gurdaspur, Punjab, India.

Gandotra,S., and Pungotra,H. (2017). Tools and Techniques for Conceptual Design in Virtual Reality Environment. i-manager’s Journal on Future Engineering and Technology, 12(4), 8-19. https://doi.org/10.26634/jfet.12.4.13627

Abstract

Conventional Computer-Aided Design (CCAD) systems assist the creation, modification, analysis, and optimization of a detailed design. Designer requires extensive geometric modeling and engineering analysis to enhance designer productivity, quality of design, design documentation, and to create manufacturing database. However, these highly precise and sophisticated software tools cannot help in conceptual design phase because the artistic activities involved during the detailed design phase are less formulaic during conceptual designing. In the initial phase of product design, the specifications cannot be thoroughly recognized and recommended. The designer needs to modify product specifications to study the product behavior regarding different design attributes like shape, strength, surface roughness, ergonomics, and many other aspects. Hence, the industrial designers continue to explore new tools, which can provide the designer more freedom to modify product design artistically and technically. Virtual Reality (VR) and haptics technology provide the opportunity to collaborate the artistic phase of design with the conceptual design phase. The visualization of the model with material properties will be easy to interpret. The collision detection can automatically report the geometric contact when it occurs or about to occur. The physics-based modeling will help to measure the deformation during the collision. In the present paper, the authors have presented effective and efficient tools for the conceptual design in virtual reality environment.