Interactive planning of manufacturing systems with virtual construction sets

The technology of virtual reality (VR), as a new user interface for 3D computer aided design (CAD), introduces a completely new perspective for the design of technical manufacturing systems. As with well-known construction sets, such as LEGO or Fishertechnic, the planning engineer models a virtual manufacturing system in virtual reality. Materials are chosen from virtual construction sets and are positioned in a virtual manufacturing hall. The user works with typical VR input and output instruments such as a head mount display (HMD), stereoscopic (3D) glasses and 'pinch gloves'. This article describes the concept of a virtual construction set and the realisation of its prototype, using as an example the rail transport system, MONTRAC, as manufactured by the company MONTECH AG, Switzerland. The description of the development of this construction set is supplemented by an illustration of the hardware and software components used.