New developments in technology are drastically changing industries across the board.  From Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning to Virtual Reality (VR), these tech developments are altering and improving the way industry professionals are completing their day to day jobs.  Common industries affected by tech such as AI and VR range from manufacturing, healthcare, and agriculture, to various areas of design, construction, and engineering. In engineering and design, technologies such as VR have given professionals the ability to design, create, and share their work more accurately and efficiently than ever before.  Here are a few ways VR has not only changed but improved, the engineering industry.  

Improving Design Capabilities

The process of design has evolved from traditional drawings and blueprints to using VR capabilities that can take professionals from the beginning stages of the initial design concept all the way through to the implementation and building phases.  VR gives engineering professionals the ability to actually visualize their concepts and offers them a “real life” experience before the project is even constructed.  Design engineers can use VR to interact with projects, make changes, and identify any design issues prior to a physical prototype being constructed; this not only improves time and efficiency but also reduces manufacturing error, ultimately cutting down on costs and expenses.  

Immersive 3D Modelling

3D modeling has been a tool used in the design and engineering space for many years.  However, thanks to VR technologies, 3D modeling has seen drastic improvements that provide design professionals, as well as their clients, with the ability to fully immerse themselves into the model and visualize small details that a typical 3D model may not provide.  This interactive 3D experience makes the design process from concept to construction much more efficient.

Improving Collaboration Between Clients & Engineers

Thanks in part to VR’s improvements of 3D modeling, the collaboration between designers, engineers, and their clients is now seamless and extremely helpful.  Clients often have a difficult time visualizing the end result of their project based on only drawings and blueprints. If they don’t have an eye for design themselves, it will likely be difficult for them to understand how the design and construction process will end.  Luckily, VR has given design and engineering professionals the ability to interactively work with their clients, and provide their clients with a way to actually visualize their projects from concept, to design, and prototype. This not only helps clients understand how the process works but puts the concept of their project into a real-life perspective.  Additionally, if a client has a different vision, sees and issues, or wants to make a correction to the project, they can easily communicate that with their designer and avoid any issues after project completion.