CAREER: Fostering Innovation and Learning in the AEC Industry Through Immersive Virtual Facility Prototypes

设施的设计和建造需要对复杂的系统和流程进行概念化。 虽然许多行业已经采用了快速原型制造工艺和技术，但原型在建筑行业的应用仍处于起步阶段。 有必要开发更好的方法来可视化和操纵建筑，工程和建筑（AEC）行业内的设施和施工过程的虚拟模型。 该项目旨在创建一个虚拟设施原型（VFP）的过程和工具，将提供一个基础，广泛实施的虚拟设施原型在AEC行业。VFP过程将导致一个结构，开发创新的行业原型技术，并将提供基础的视觉和基于问题的学生学习模块。该项目的研究目标是开发方法，有效地创建和使用沉浸式虚拟设施原型，促进更多的创新建筑和基础设施产品和工艺设计。 更具体地说，本研究将探索有效的开发和使用VFP，通过改善项目团队成员（包括建筑师，工程师，承包商，业主和供应商）之间的设计和施工过程信息的沟通来促进创新。 透过个案研究及结构化实验，展示如何透过虚拟及全面的设计及建造过程，促进合作团队之间的沟通及解决问题。本计划的教育部分旨在利用虚拟设施原型，在一个活跃的学习环境中，发展个案研究学习单元。 这些学习单元将纳入本科课程，并免费分发给其他大学，以便更广泛地使用。 在工程教育中使用VFP将对学生复杂系统和施工过程的可视化产生深远的影响，并清楚地展示应用先进可视化工具的成功技术。 当与基于问题的学习练习相结合时，VFP将有助于创造积极的、引人入胜的学习环境，并提高工程学科对高素质学生的吸引力和保留力。该项目对AEC行业的影响将是显著和广泛的，因为它将重新定义设施在虚拟环境中的概念化、设计和建造方式。 该项目还将向其他行业（如造船、飞机制造和大型设备制造行业）展示VFP在创建协作问题解决环境方面的价值

The design and construction of facilities requires the conceptualization of complex systems and processes. While many industries have embraced rapid prototyping processes and technologies, the use of prototypes in the building industry remains in its infancy. There is a need to develop better methods to visualize and manipulate virtual models of facilities and construction processes within the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. This project aims to create a Virtual Facility Prototyping (VFP) process and tools that will provide a foundation for the wide-spread implementation of virtual facility prototyping in the AEC industry. The VFP process will lead to a structure for developing innovative industry prototyping techniques and will provide the foundation for visual and problem-based student learning modules.The research goal of this project is to develop methods to efficiently create and use immersive virtual facility prototypes that foster more innovative building and infrastructure product and process designs. More specifically, this research will explore the efficient development and use of VFPs to foster innovation through the improved communication of the design and construction process information between project team members including the architects, engineers, contractors, owners and suppliers. Case studies and structured experiments will be used to demonstrate how communication and problem solving between collaborative teams can be facilitated through the virtual and full-scale representation of design and construction processes.The educational component of this project targets the development of case study learning modules using the virtual facility prototypes in an active learning environment. These learning modules will be implemented into the undergraduate curriculum and freely disseminated to other universities for more widespread use. The use of VFPs in engineering education will have a profound impact on the visualization of complex systems and construction processes by students and clearly demonstrate successful techniques for applying advanced visualization tools. When combined with problem-based learning exercises, VFPs will help create active, engaging learning environments and improve the attraction and retention of top caliber students to engineering disciplines.The impact of this project on the AEC industry will be significant and broad-reaching, as it will redefine how facilities are conceptualized, designed, and constructed in virtual environments. This project will also demonstrate the value of VFPs in creating collaborative problem solving environments to other industries, such as ship building, aircraft construction, and large equipment manufacturing industries