From: gaul@floh.km.mw.tu-muenchen.de (Hans-Dieter Gaul) Subject: MISC: Virtual Reality in design survey Date: Fri, 09 Aug 1996 20:19:49 GMT Organization: TU Muenchen Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, We started a new research project at the chair of design in mechanical engineering at the Technical University in Munich, Germany. We want to get information about the way VR-Tools are used in the design process and what problems have to be solved to make VR an effective tool for design. To find out about current usage and problems of VR-Systems, we started this survey. Please fill in the form and send it back. Please select a fixed font like 'Courier' and enlarge your mail-reader window so that you can see the form in its whole width (80 columns are recommended). You can print out the form and send it back via fax or mail to: Technische Universitaet Muenchen Lehrstuhl fuer Konstruktion im Maschinenbau z.H. Robert Irlinger D-80290 Muenchen Germany Fax: +49 (89) 289-15144 or you can send it back by e-mail to gaul@mail.km.mw.tu-muenchen.de or simply press the Reply-button (with option: 'quote original') and fill in the form. There is also a WWW-version of this form, so if you have a form capable browser like Netscape, Mosaic or MS Internet Explorer, you can go to http://www.km.mw.tu-muenchen.de/vr/ and fill in the form online. Thanks in advance, Hans-Dieter Gaul To which trade does your company belong to, and what kind of products do you have? | single-part | small quantity | large quantity | production | production | production ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ mechanical engineering | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ electrical engineering | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ service industries | | | (e.g. engineering office) | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ customer specific | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------------------------------- developer of VR-systems | | -------------------------------------------- University | | -------------------------------------------- How many employees does your company have? quantity: ---------- How many employees work together in a typical design or development project? | <=10 | 11..30 | 31..70 | 71..200 | >200 | quantity ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- new design | | | | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- improvement of existing | | | | | | products | | | | | | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Questions about the use of VR-systems ===================================== Do you actually use VR-Systems? ---------- | | yes ---------- | | no ---------- If you do so, in which way do you use them? -------------------- | | trial -------------------- | | every day use -------------------- How are VR-Tools introduced in your company? ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | test in special department or project team ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | direct set up in the department which is affected ----------------------------------------------------------------- | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- In which fields does your company use (or plan to use) VR-Tools? | product | | manufacturing | | | | planning | design | assembly | marketing | maintenance | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ planned | | | | | | to use | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ already | | | | | | in use | | | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ In which fields is it possible to improve the design process with VR? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | design ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | presentation to customers/management ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | product planning ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | preliminary design ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | development ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | motion analysis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | collision detection ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | team work ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | tele cooperation / computer supported corporate work (CSCW) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Do you think that it is beneficial to use VR in the design process? ---------- | | yes ---------- | | no ---------- What are your expectations in the use of VR-Tools in design? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | less time for product development ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | decrease of costs in design ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | less mock ups ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | effective tele cooperation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ If you actually use VR-Tools: Did you come up to your expectations? | yes | no | partly | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ less time for product development | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ decrease of costs in design | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ less mock ups | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ effective tele cooperation | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ How important do you think are the following features concerning a VR-System for design? | very important | less important | unimportant | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ complete immersion | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ real time characteristics | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ interactivity | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ tactile feedback | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ force feedback | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ multiuser environment | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ tele presence, CSCW | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ intuitive usage | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ easy usage | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ integration with CAD, FEM... | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ small costs | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Which kind of hardware do you use (or plan to use) for VR? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | head mounted display (HMD) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | shutter glasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | data glove ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | spacemouse ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Which software do you use? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | own development ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What amount of money did you invest (or are you willing to invest) in VR? (amount in 1000 US-$) <= 65 | 65..165 | 165..330 | 330..500 | 500..650 | >650 | --------------------------------------------------------- | | | | | | --------------------------------------------------------- What problems did you encounter in using VR-Systems? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What has to be changed at current VR-Tools to make better use of them? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Do you want to get a copy of the analysis of all questionaires? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | no ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | per e-mail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | per fax ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | per snail mail ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Your e-mail address: Your fax-number: Your address: If you have any questions, suggestions or comments, please e-mail me at: gaul@mail.km.mw.tu-muenchen.de Thank you very much for joining our questionaire! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ cand. Ing. Hans-Dieter Gaul Chair of design in mechanical engineering Technical University Munich, Germany Fax: +49 (89) 289-15144 e-mail : gaul@mail.km.mw.tu-muenchen.de ------------------------------------------------------------------------------