Virtual reality for configuration of transformable assembly systems

Virtual Reality (VR) made its way out of research labs into industrial applications like product design, design for assembly, training issues etc. Nevertheless VR is still suffering from lacking technology to highlight its huge amount of functionality. That means the utilization of VR in a holistic way to combine the real and the virtual world to close the circle, in which the user can switch between both systems is still not common. There is more VR can contribute than an immersive 3D model of real objects and some interaction technology with different devices like 6 DOF mouse, Phantom(TM), gloves with tactile feedback etc. If you want to use VR like usual technology you have to integrate the features of 3D, interaction, force feedback, simulation and the real system. Then it will be possible to support the user during configuration and monitoring of real assembly systems through a virtual environment, which provides direct access to simulation, visualization of parameters and the control unit of the real system. This reduces the complexity for the user and speeds up the configuration process. The developments especially concerning Virtual Reality and a new approach regarding an intelligent data architecture will be described in the paper.