Chances and Limitations of a Virtual Reality-supported Tool for Decision Making in Industrial Engineering

Besides from pure entertainment, Virtual Reality promises changes for the so-called Industry 4.0 sector. VR allows to visualize complex engineering data and provides a set of multimodal tools to inspect a 3D model on various levels. Early VR setups consisted of projectors, walls and powerful PCs to synchronize the data. These systems were expensive, presuppose expert knowledge and needed much space to be used efficiently. VR technology is still in its early stages, but, as innovations pick up pace, systems get easier to set up and the advances in graphics power allow for novel modes of visualization and interaction. This paper discusses a set of application areas for VR in industry and describes the implementation of a light-weight VR-system for industrial engineering applications. Our approach handles the complexity of native CAD engineering data and integrates tools to support engineering design review. We discuss the chances and limitations of the system and provide best practices for future VR applications in the field of Industry 4.0.