Collaborative Virtual Engineering: VDC-Whitepaper

Whitepaper
Collaborative Virtual Engineering
Techniques, Processes, Benefits
© Competence Centre for Virtual Reality and Cooperative Engineering w. V. – Virtual Dimension Center (VDC)
Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Kfm. Christoph Runde
Virtual Dimension Center (VDC) Fellbach
Auberlenstr. 13
70736 Fellbach
www.vdc-fellbach.de
ϭ
Techniques, Processes, Benefits

Large Displays ApplicationsBasics Virtual Engineering Planning Desks Collaborative AR Distributed VEs Summary
The environment: pronounced division of labor
Distributed work
Multidisciplinary work
Engineering-around-the-clock/
around-the-globe
Domain-specific goals
Domain-specific knowledge
Basics
2
Domain-specific knowledge
Knowhow as undocumented
knowledge of experience
Problem intensified with project
duration and complexity ǆĂŵƉůĞ ΀^ŽƵƌĐĞ͗ DƵŶƌŽĞ Θ ƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞƐ΁

Inaccurate targets
Overengineering
Missing project planning
Interface diversity
Lack of information
Problems in development stage [Eversheim 1995]
Basics
3
Intransparency of the processes
Strong interdependencies between processes
Many feedback processes
Different life cycles product-factory require
integrative planning
But: „More than 50% of the problems in product development can
be traced back to behavioral problems, not physical issues.“
Image: Institute for industrial
manufacturing and factory operation,
University of Stuttgart

Lack of responsibility
Cumbersome decision-making
Insufficient communication behavior
Lack of capacity for teamwork and critical
ability
Most significant behavioral problems in the course of product
development [Eversheim 1995]
Basics
ĂƵƐĞƐ ĨŽƌ ŵŝƐƐĞĚ ĚĞĂĚůŝŶĞƐ ĂŶĚ ĐŽƐƚ ŽǀĞƌƌƵŶƐ
ŝŶ ĚĞǀĞůŽƉŵĞŶƚ
4
ability
Hierarchy and departmental thinking
Strong functional orientation
Image: Eversheim 1995, p. 5

According to study by Contact – VDI – Fh-IPK
2013 [Müller 2013]
The meaning of communication
Basics
dŝŵĞ ƐůŝĐĞƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƚĂƐŬƐ ͣĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŶŐ͕ ĐŽŽƌĚŝŶĂƚŝŶŐ͕ ĐŽŵŝŶŐ
ƚŽ ĂŶ ĂŐƌĞĞŵĞŶƚ͞
5
Study „Collaborative
product development and
digital tools “ by Contact
Software, VDI and
Fraunhofer IPK, 2013
[Müller 2013]
Image: VDC
Image: VDC
ƐƐĞƐƐŵĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ

Virtual Engineering [Bullinger, 2002]
Support of development processes by
means of digital, three-dimensional models
Objectives
Fast development cycles as an active
process element
Early result feedback
Virtual Engineering
Effects of reducing product
development time
6
Early result feedback
Emphasis on early stages of development
Development of alternative product
concepts
Define the specification of the product
Central importance: Design reviews Image: Eversheim 1995, p. 11

Investigation objects – Design reviews
Virtual Engineering
In design reviews, the following component groups
and events must be considered: [Krottmeier 1995]
Safety critical components, assembly units and product
features
Critical components, assembly units and product features
according to FMEA
Significant components, assembly units and product
Early cost determination, late cost incurrence
Increase of planning security and cost influence by
moving planning activities forward
7
Release levels [Krottmeier 1995]:
Software phase
Project initiation
Specification sheet
Construction approval
Planning release
Significant components, assembly units and product
features according to QFD
Components, assembly units and product features that
have caused problems in the past
Hardware phase
Trial release
Procurement release
Disposition release
Series release

Advantages 3D
Universal language
Processes can be displayed
Intuitively comprehensible, depending on the
design it can be close to reality
The environment can be shared with others in
real time - even remote; the perception of
others is identifieable
Virtual Engineering
8
others is identifieable
Processing of explicit and implicit knowledge is
possible
Individual aspects of cooperation support
Integration of data, distance, subject
boundaries, time
Essential:
Trust in the validity of the models
“Sacred” data master has to be maintained
intensively
Image: Eversheim 1995, p. 17

Knowledge management in virtual environments
Knowledge types in virtual environments:
Position knowledge: What is located where?
Structural knowledge: How is something
related?
Behavioral knowledge: How does the system
behave? How do I behave?
Image: Fh-IPA
Training control operation
in mine
Virtual Engineering
9
behave? How do I behave?
Procedural knowledge: Which processes
cause what?
Possibilities of learning in virtual environments:
Spatial exploration
Conceptual learning
Learning motoric abilities
Procedural learning
Image: Fh-IPA
Image: HS Mannheim
Test
tool usage
Exploration cockpit
agricultural machine

Virtual Augmented Environments for Concurrent Engineering
Technical possibilities:
Planning desks
Large displays
Collaborative Augmented Reality (AR)
Image: Fh-IPA
Factory planning desk
Large DisplaysPlanning Desks Collaborative AR Distributed VEs
10
Distributed Virtual Environments
Image: VDC
Image: VDC
Powerwall
Avatars in
distributed
3D environments
AR-Roundtable
Image: Fh-FIT

Planning desks
Simultaneously linked 2D and 3D view
(useful for 2D-3D-problem)
Projection on table surface and on wall/
canvas
Multi-user system
Partially chunks as
Image: Fh-IPA
Scheme
Factory planning desk:
2 projectors, IR camera
Planning Desks
11
Partially chunks as
interaction metaphors
or touch screen
⊕ Layout and perspective
simultaneous
Θ Interaction overhead” partially not solved
Θ Input letters numbers?
Image: VDC
Image: Fh-IPA
Work at planning desk:
surgery arrangement
planning
Interaction: touch (on the
left) or IR-tracked bricks
(on the right)
Image: Microsoft

Large displays
Powerwalls
THE industrial standard system
⊕ Almost arbitrarily scalable
⊕ Resolution almost arbitrary
⊕ Suitable for group discussions
Θ Installation and maintenance
Image: Imsys
Powerwall
Imsys scale XL with
41 million pixels on
5.5 x 2.2m
Large Displays
12
CAVEs
Enables an inside perspective
⊕ High immersion
Θ Single-user system (head tracking): max.
small groups
Θ Space requirement, costs
Image: Fh-IPA
Image: Visenso
Multi-wall projection
system CAVE
Interaction via menus on a
projection

Large displays
1-channel workbench
For product investigations
For 2-4 persons
⊕ Compact, mechan. tracking
Θ Availability
Image: Barco
Barco Baron
Large Displays
13
2-channel workbench („HoloBench“)
For product investigations
For 2-4 persons
⊕ Very large field of view covered
Θ Partially large dimensions
Θ Availability
Image: Barco
Image: Fh-IPA
Barco Consul
Work on a HoloBench

Large displays
Flat angled Systems (angled wall)
Compromise between CAVE and
Powerwall
Depending on size suitable for groups
⊕ Relatively good immersion
⊕ Relatively easy to set up
Image: Barco
Design review
Miele
Large Displays
14
⊕ Relatively easy to set up
Θ Slight distortions on the edges for non-
tracked
Curved screens (spherical displays)
Cylindrical/ torus shaped projection surface
Due to size for small groups
⊕ Good immersion
Θ Difficult installation because of distortions,
dissolves (edge blending)
Image: Meta VR
Image: Barco
Joint Terminal Attack
Controller Training
Rehearsal System JTAC
Flight simulator of Israeli
air force

Large displays: current developments
Display wall with lenticular systems
(autostereoscopic procedure)
Direction multiplex
⊕ Multi-user capability
⊕ No glasses
⊕ No calibration
Image: University of Illinois at Chicago
Tiled, autostereoscopic
display
Large Displays
15
⊕ No calibration
⊕ Scalable
Θ Fixed, optimal viewing areas
Θ Optimal viewing distance is fixed
Θ Special software
Θ Reduced resolution
Image: www.3d-forums.com
Image: Tridelity
Schematic
representation of
procedure
Illustration mode of
action

Multi-viewer stereo
Problem of all immersive applications: head
tracking enables only 1 person to have a
correct image
Motion parallax, progressive covering/
uncovering: depth criterion
Multi-user head tracking:
Image: Uni Weimar, Fh-IAO
Different perspectives
due to different
positions
Large Displays
16
Multi-user head tracking:
Different views for different viewer positions
have to be displayed and separated
Use of multiple time slots or combination of
polarizing filter-time multiplex (so far only for
projection systems)
⊕ Head tracking for multiple users
Θ Loss of brightness, technical effort
Image: Uni Weimar, Fh-IAO
Image: Uni Weimar
View on projection
system: 2 perspectives
due to 2 different
positions
6 separately tracked
viewers in front of
Powerwall

Collaborative Augmented Reality (AR)
AR: Overlap view with computer graphics
Context-sensitivity; 3D or alphanumeric
Functions
Consistency checks digital model - phys. world
Instructions, process support
Image: TU Wien
Common
AR workspace
by means of HMDs
Collaborative AR
17
Marketing, entertainment
Visualization time delay
⊕ Generation of a common workspace by
means of AR via common referencing
⊕ Collaboration function per se
⊕ Spatial distribution possible
Θ Realizations still prototypical
Images: National Geographic
AR with geo-
referencing possible
Image: National Geographic
Common
AR workspace
by means of
smartphones

Distributed virtual environments
DVEs are virtual environments in which
multiple users interact with each other
in real time
Participants can be represented by
avatars
In addition to avatars, autonomous
Image: Fh-IPA
User and avatar facing
each other in CAVE
Distributed VEs
18
In addition to avatars, autonomous
agents can also be present
Participants can communicate with
each other (language, gesture)
Interaction with other participants or
virtual objects
Image: ESI-Ic:ido
Image: Uni Hannover
Glasses-metaphor:
further participants are
only represented by their
glasses
Video conferencing
in 3D environment

Distributed virtual environments
Fundamental concepts
Latency: Delay of sent data based on the
receiver´s view
Bandwidth: Amount of data that can be
transmitted per time unit
Reliability: loss, corruption, visibility
Client-server architecture
Distributed VEs
19
Reliability: loss, corruption, visibility
Network protocol
Network architectures
Bottlenecks
Scalability
Local intelligence, targeted multicasts
Client-server architecture
with multiple servers
Peer-to-Peer architecture

Distributed virtual environments : State management
Core idea: all participants are present in the same environment, state has to be
consistent for all participants
Information is generated on one host and mirrored on another
Due to latency information can already be obsolete
Without synchronization, mirrored information can only be trusted to a limited extent
Consistent states can only be achieved by synchronization, but only by doing without
high update rates
Distributed VEs
20
high update rates
Discrepancy between speed and consistency
Thus, distributed virtual environments are either dynamic worlds with fast changes or
consistent worlds that provide identical information to all hosts
3 approaches for state management:
o Central information retention
o High-frequency information distribution
o State prediction (dead reckoning)

1. Central information retention:
State of the virtual environment is managed centrally
Writing access is synchronized
Centre is the bottleneck, but can also distribute specifically
2. High-frequency information distribution
Distributed VEs
21
2. High-frequency information distribution
Objective: fast updates at the expense of network-wide consistency
States of all hosts are sent completely and frequently to all other hosts
Problem: prevent multiple hosts from simultaneously manipulating the
same object (e.g. via lock manager)

3. State prediction
Idea: each host constructs approximations of the actual state between updates
2 phases: prediction (dead reckoning) and convergence (in the actual state) after
update
Use of laws of physics, collision detection
Further techniques
Distributed VEs
22
Further techniques
High-Level-Animation
o start local animation
o regarding rather irrelevant animations (e.g. flames, liquids, leaves)
Rendering-related
o Distribution in virtual rooms. Only state changes in the same room are of interest (area of
Interest Management)
o Level-of-Detail: represent distant objects in low resolution
Optimization of the communication protocol: compression, summary of messages
Dynamic network architecture: as needed client-server or peer-to-peer

Distributed virtual environments : Criteria
• Number of users
• Latency, consistency
• Hardware compatibility
• Annotations, multimedia, telephony,
video conferencing
• Documentation work results
Image: ESI-Ic:ido
Schematic representation
of distributed virtual
engineering
Distributed VEs
23
• Documentation work results
• Time-delayed cooperation: possibility to
save and reaccess work results
• Compliance with rules/
recommendations of the user interface
design
Image: VDC
Image: Visenso
Video stream as a
dynamic texture
Planning office with
various multimedia
systems

Participant
observable
issues
Further criteria of CVEs
Scalability
applicable number of users
maximum number of users
size of the modeled world
world space limitations
maximum number of artificially
intelligent objects
World realism
AI learning from experience
world interaction [on-line building option]
number of objects that can be interacted
with self-evolving world
physical laws modelled
dynamic speed of objects and world
[world speed]
Manninen [Manninen 1999] Bartlett
[Bartlett 2004]
Distributed VEs
Implementation
issues
24
applicable number of objects
maximum number of objects
distributed to multiple servers
option for external links
Avatar features
persistent avatars
avatar complexity
avatar configurability
avatar history and development
avatar interactions
avatar body language
[world speed]
dynamic scenery
level of artificial intelligence
seemingly real scenery
User interface
navigation and control
keyboard control
mouse control
sound support
advanced input devices
advanced output devices
Communication
audio communication
video communication

Applications: Design Engineering
• Intuitive and interactive exploration and
testing
• Immediate understanding, reduction of
misunderstandings
• Explanation of one's own task to non-
specialists
Applications
Image: HS Mannheim
Service Engineering
using a Powerwall
25
specialists
• Developing together in the same place
• Reduction of the digital gap
• Spatially distributed work on a
development object
Image: ESI-Ic:ido
Image: VDC
Frontend-independent
distributed cooperation
Factory planning using a
planning desk

Applications: Design Engineering
/ŵĂŐĞ͗ ǆǆǆǆǆǆǆ
Seat box for 2 persons.
On the left: physical set-up,
On the right: 3D representation
Applications
26
/ŵĂŐĞ͗ ǆǆǆ
Image: Uni Weimar (http://www.uni-weimar.de/cms/medien/vr/research/display-systems/the-two-user-seating-buck.html)

Applications: Training
Learning levels: explain, accompany,
examine
Integration of documentation
Integration of simulators
Simulation of scenarios
Visualization of the hidden
Image: ESI-Ic:ido
Battery removal
Applications
27
Visualization of the hidden
Shortening downtime
Training already during planning/
without occupancy of the object/ safe
with scenario technique
Image: University of Southern California
Image: Visenso
Assistant Steve explains,
what has to be done
Cyber classroom

Applications: Training
Applications
28
Plant training simulator
of Virtual Reality and
Multimedia Parks, Torino:
Definition of scenarios,
working in different
scenarios, linked 2D- and
3D-viewImage: Virtual Reality and Multimedia Park, Turin

Applications: Process support Telework
Using a 3D environment as a knowledge
management platform to support
remote service experts
Linking 3D environment to real system:
online-3D quickly conveys perspective of
the on site colleague
Image: Fh-IPA
Remote configuration of
a tooling machine via VR
Applications
29
the on site colleague
Usage of online-3D where cameras are
not applicable (harsh environment, signal
latencies)
On-site service staff can be supported
with 3D information (e.g. AR-systems)
Image: Fh-IPA
Linking a virtual to a
real mine
Image: Fh-IPA
Service technician in
head office can show
additional information
to the local operator
via AR display

Applications: Presentation Market research
Interactive presentation of the product
Secure common understanding
Simple presentation of variants
Show product virtually in operation
Provide detailed insights
Customer designs his specific/ individual
Image: ESI-Ic:ido
Explanation
functionalities machine
Applications
30
Customer designs his specific/ individual
product
Use of product configurators (special
configurator logic)
Complex and large products can be presented
Saving transport costs for complex/ large
goods (e.g. machines)
Better secrecy possible, presentation of critical
details only to selected contacts
Image: Visenso
Image: Kimberley-Clark
Booth for groups
Review supermarket,
scenario product test

Comparison
WůĂŶŶŝŶŐ ĚĞƐŬƐ ĂƌŐĞ ĚŝƐƉůĂǇƐ ŽůůĂďŽƌĂƚŝǀĞ Z
ŝƐƚƌŝďƵƚĞĚ ǀŝƌƚƵĂů
ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚƐ
ĐŽůŽƌĞĚ zĞƐ zĞƐ zĞƐ EŽ
ƉƌŽ
DƵůƚŝƉůĞ ŝŶƉƵƚƐ
'ŽŽĚ ĨŽƌ
ϮͲϯͲƚĂƐŬƐ
'ŽŽĚ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŵƉůĞǆ
ϯͲƚĂƐŬƐ
ĂƐǇ ƚŽ ŝŶƐƚĂůů
/ŶƚĞŐƌĂƚŝŽŶ ŽĨ ƌĞĂů
ĞŶǀŝƌŽŶŵĞŶƚ ŝŶ
ǁŽƌŬƐƉĂĐĞ
ZĞŵŽƚĞ ĐŽŽƉĞƌĂƚŝŽŶ
Summary
31
ϮͲϯͲƚĂƐŬƐ
ĞǇďŽĂƌĚ ƵƐĂďůĞ
ĂƐǇ ƚŽ ŝŶƐƚĂůů ǁŽƌŬƐƉĂĐĞ
ĐŽŶƚƌĂ
EŽƚ ĨŽƌ ĐŽŵƉůĞǆ ϯͲ
ƚĂƐŬƐ
ŝĂůŽŐƵĞƐ ĂƌĞ ƵƉƐŝĚĞ
ĚŽǁŶ ŽŶ ŽŶĞ ƐŝĚĞ ŽĨ
ƚŚĞ ĚĞƐŬ
ZĞƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶ
ůƉŚĂŶƵŵĞƌŝĐ ŝŶƉƵƚƐ ƉĂƌƚŝĂůůǇ
ĐƵŵďĞƌƐŽŵĞ
ϭ ƉĞƌƐŽŶ ŶĂǀŝŐĂƚĞƐ
ϭ ƉĞƌƐŽŶ ƚƌĂĐŬĞĚ
DŝƐƐŝŶŐ ŚĞĂĚ ƚƌĂĐŬŝŶŐ ĚŝƐƚŽƌƚƐ
ŝŵĂŐĞ ĂŶĚ ŝŶƚĞƌĂĐƚŝŽŶ
,ŝŐŚ ƌĞƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶ ŽŶůǇ ĂĐŚŝĞǀĂďůĞ
ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚ ĂƌƌĂǇ
KƵƚƉƵƚ ĚĞǀŝĐĞƐ ĂƌĞ
ŽĨƚĞŶ ĐƵŵďĞƌƐŽŵĞ
Žǁ ƌĞƐŽůƵƚŝŽŶ
ŽŵƉůĞǆ ŝŶƐƚĂůůĂƚŝŽŶ
hƐƵĂůůǇ ĂĚĚŝƚŝŽŶĂů
ĐŽŵŵƵŶŝĐĂƚŝŽŶ
ĐŚĂŶŶĞůƐ ŶĞĐĞƐƐĂƌǇ
;ůĂŶŐƵĂŐĞ͕ ŝŵĂŐĞͿ

Outlook
Acquisition and transmission of gesture
(relevant communication channel): e.g.
pointing, shrug
Acquisition and transmission of facial
expressions, because for communication
face to face is very relevant:
Image: TU Chemnitz
Powerwall gesture
detection (here: for scene
control)
Kinect registers
movements of the
Summary
32
face to face is very relevant:
interpretation
Remote rendering and video streaming:
complex graphics also for 3D-low-
performance devices (smartphone, tablet
PC)
Image: heise.de
movements of the
corners of the mouth and
the eyebrows and thereby
animates avatars:
frowning, nodding,
smiling, lip movements
[Bonnert 2013]
Image: RTT
3D content on
mobile devices

Summary
Presented cooperation approaches are fundamentally different
Diverse usage scenarios
Selected system has to be adjusted to purpose
Variety of possible properties require careful selection and testing
Integration into development/ service/ training/ marketing processes is essential
Generally accepted, collaborative data master has to be maintained thoroughly
Summary
33
Literature
Bartlett, R.: A Categorisation Model for Distributed Virtual Environments. In:
IEEE Computer Society (Hrsg.): Proceedings of the 18th International Parallel
and Distributed Processing Symposium (IPDPS'04), Workshop 13, 26.-30.
April 2004, Santa Fe/USA. Washington/USA: IEEE Press, 2004, S. 231-238
Bonnert, E.: Kinect-Chat mit Stirnrunzeln. Online unter
http://www.heise.de/newsticker/meldung/Kinect-Chat-mit-Stirnrunzeln-
1164198.html ; heruntergeladen am 10.6.2013
Bullinger, H.-J.: Virtual Engineering: Neue Wege zu einer schnellen
Produktentwicklung. In: Bullinger, H.-J. ; Sonderforschungsbereich
Entwicklung und Erprobung Innovativer Produkte - Rapid Prototyping -SFB
374-, Stuttgart: Virtual Engineering und Rapid Prototyping. Innovative
Strategiekonzepte und integrierte Systeme : Forschungsforum Sb 374,
27. Februar 2002. Stuttgart: Universität Stuttgart, 2002
Generally accepted, collaborative data master has to be maintained thoroughly
Eversheim, W. et al.: Simultaneous Engineering. Springer-Verlag, Berlin,
1995
Krottmeier, Johannes: Leitfaden Simultaneous Engineering. Springer-
Verlag, Berlin, 1995
Manninen, T.; Pirkola, J.: Comparative Classification of Multi-User Virtual
Worlds (1999); http://www.tol.oulu.fi/~tmannine/game_design/multi-
user_virtual_worlds.pdf (11.12.2005)
Müller, P.; Pasch, F.; Drewinski, R.; Hayka, H.: Kollaborative
Produktentwicklung und Digitale Werkzeuge. Defizite heute, Potenziale
morgen. Hrsg.: Stark, R.; Drewinski, R.; Hayka, H.; Bedenbender, H.;
Fraunhofer IPK, Berlin, 2013

Links
Barco ClickShare:
http://www.barco.com/en/products-solutions/presentation-
collaboration/clickshare-presentation-system/wireless-presentation-
and-collaboration-system.aspx
Bitmanagement BS Collaborate
http://www.bitmanagement.com/products/server/bs-collaborate
Summary
34
ESI-IC.IDO Cooperate:
http://www.icido.de/de/Produkte/VDP/IDO_Cooperate.html
Fraunhofer IPA i-Plant:
http://www.ipa.fraunhofer.de/3D-Layoutplanung_mit_dem_IPA-
Planungstisch.384.0.html?no_cache=1sword_list[]=planungstisc
h
Visenso Covise Collaborative Engineering:
http://www.visenso.de/leistungen/software/grundmodule/covise-
ce.html

Thank you very much for your interest!
You are interested in this topic and you are looking for contact persons/
implementation partners? Please contact us.
© Competence Centre for Virtual Reality and Cooperative Engineering w. V. – Virtual Dimension Center (VDC)
Virtual Dimension Center (VDC) Fellbach
Auberlenstraße 13
70736 Fellbach
www.vdc-fellbach.de
35

Collaborative Virtual Engineering: VDC-Whitepaper

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