VIP Lab offers a human-centered design service based on an immersive 3D experience for viewing complex products and systems and simulating its behavior within an interactive virtual environment. The 3D models of the product can be displayed in 1:1 scale by stereoscopic viewing, placed within highly realistic virtual scenarios and navigated in an interactive way thanks to the tracking of the user’s viewpoint and the use of advanced navigation devices to simulating the manipulation of virtual objects. The goal is to put HUMANS at the centre of the design process and facilitate the adoption of DfX methods (Design for Sustainability, Design for Usability, Design for All Design for serviceability, Design for Maintenance, Design for Manufacturing and Assembly) promoting collaborative approaches. The Lab allows realizing an integrated product-process design and quickly detecting errors and defects, reducing time and development costs, and increasing product quality.
VIP LAB presentation day at Modena Technopole
-Creating an immersive3D product experience:VR technologies allow viewing of models of product, machine or system with a high level of realism and immersion -Evaluation of User Experience and Human Factors: thanks to the use of advanced software systems and integration of virtual simulations with motion tracking,you can reproduce the human-product/machine/system interaction and evaluate the user experience from the user’s eyes -Integrated product-design process:the laboratory allows to simulate the behaviour of complex systems by integrating
1. High-quality aesthetic rendering with high level of realism and immersion (scale 1: 1) 2. Advanced animations to optimize product-process behaviour and performance 3. Real time interaction with the virtual prototypes 4. Usability analysis according experimental evaluation protocols 5. Analysis of both physical and cognitive ergonomics according to experimental evaluation protocols 6. Motion tracking and post-processing of user actions 7. Virtual training of operators 8. Simulation of virtual assembly / disassembly, maintenance and assistance
Applicative examples and case studies
User-centred design for the automotive sector
The VIP Lab supported activities of conceptual design and detailed design for the automotive sector, in collaboration with Italian and European companies. In general a User-Centred philosophy was adopted; therefore all project activities involved end-users and focused on the investigation of the user experience and the quality perceived. Initially, the definition of requirements was carried out through collaborative sessions organized in VR environments to support brainstorming and observation of user behaviours in the face of real problems. After that, the aesthetic proposals developed by designers were evaluated with the involvement of the users within the design team and the creation of virtual prototypes in 1:1 scale with a high level of realism shown in immersive 3D mode. Subsequently, the design of the specific design elements of the car followed the principles of functional and cognitive ergonomics and product usability, and functional solutions were tested on immersive 3D interactive prototypes, on which users and experts simulated the actions that would be carried out in reality, optimizing dimensions, collocation of components, sequences of assembly and maintenance, procedures for service. Finally, the Lab VIP has been used for the training of the operators in VR mode.
Companies in the following sectors: manufacturing, automotive, food & beverage, healthcare, furniture, machine tool retail, wellness, oil & gas
The VIP Lab aims to collaborate with companies interested in developing 3D immersive virtual prototypes according to User-Centred Design (UCD) approaches and creating advanced simulations of products and processes to optimize usability, ergonomics and its aesthetic and functional aspects.
Virtual prototypes realized denier the case study