From: "Raghu Kolli" Subject: Re: VR and Industrial Design Date: Mon, 13 Jan 92 13:52 MET Organization: Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands Wrote William Charles Sabram : > Unfortunately, VR is so new and advancing so rapidly that I haven't > heard anything about it, industrial design-wise. Have any of you? > > Could anyone give me a hand or a pointed direction that would be a good > place to start plotting a project with the field of VR? You folks mentioned > awkward, heavy or cumbersome VR equiptment and on Dec 19th, a guy named > Mark said, "the input device plays a critical role in determining the > enjoyment of the experience and feeling of inclusion in the world". This > sounds like a job for Industrial Design! As an interaction designer and researcher at the Faculty of Industrial Design, perhaps, I can sketch out a few sceanrios for you. . Your concern for usablity and simplicty are much appreciated, but let these concerns not stifle your creative and innovative instincts. The HCI field is flooded with ergonomists and psychologists crying wolf at every interface. Ergonomics can tell you what is wrong with an interfacedge- but it is still the task of designer to come up with a better solution. . An industrial designer has a role to play in development of VR systems. Just like the way he strives to improve the quality of life around us by dealing with aesthetics of product forms, he can deal with the aesthetics of virtual objects. Which means he can create virtual worlds and environment not only beautiful to look at but pleasing to interact with. Todays industrial designer undertands materials, product forms, functions, ergonomics and how man interacts with the product. The industrial designer of tomorrow understands virtual objects: how to shape them, how to give them a set of behavioural patterns, how to ho[w to make them respond to the human provocation. He is the architect of the virtual worlds. . Secondly, the industrial designer gives shape to the tools he requires to for creating the worlds. He invents new tools or modifies other tools toets meet his requirements in creating virtual worlds. Tools that blend with his creative working style, tools that spark off his imagination. ] . Most important, an industrial designer is a problem solver. He finds solutions in virtual reality to some of every day problems. He also finds design solutions to interaction problems within virtual worlds. . Lastly, let me introduce to you others in this newsgroup with similar interests(industrial design - user interfaces - CAD - VR) : . Drew Davidson (davidson@cs.unc.edu) worked on 3D visualization using VR H Lonnie Smith (smithh@atc.boeing.com) industrial designing with CAD Adam Beeman (beeman@ucscb.ucsc.edu) undergraduate student, UCSC Richard Zobel(rwzobel@eos.ncsu.edu) graduate student, NCSU- Architecture Kathyrn Wallace (kwallace@estec.bitnet) working on VR ergonomics for ESA Pete Tinker (pat@jupiter.risc.rockwell.com) working on VR spec languages Richard Ottolini(stgprao@xing.unocal.com) interested in VR software German Bauer (german@sin.cgrg.ohio-state.edu) CAD - interaction devices (Hope you folks don't mind being listed as above. The interest areas indicated above are based on your postings or correspondence with me.I'm sure you may have other interests as well.) . Hope that you find a starting point soon. Cheers. Raghu . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Raghu Kolli +31-15-78 6937 Delft University of Technology iovorag@hdetud2.tudelft.nl Faculty of Industrial Design Engg. The Netherlands ------------------------------------------------------------------------