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过程进行概念化。虽然许多行业都采用了快速原型工艺和技术，但在建筑行业中使用原型仍处于起步阶段。在建筑、工程和施工（AEC）行业中，需要开发更好的方法来可视化和操作设施和施工过程的虚拟模型。该项目旨在创建虚拟设施原型（VFP）流程和工具，为AEC行业中虚拟设施原型的广泛实施奠定基础。VFP过程将导致开发创新工业原型技术的结构，并将为可视化和基于问题的学生学习模块提供基础。该项目的研究目标是开发有效地创建和使用沉浸式虚拟设施原型的方法，以促进更多创新的建筑和基础设施产品和流程设计。更具体地说，本研究将探讨vfp的有效开发和使用，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沟通，促进创新。案例研究和结构化实验将用于演示如何通过设计和施工过程的虚拟和全尺寸表示促进协作团队之间的沟通和问题解决。这个项目的教育部分的目标是在一个主动的学习环境中使用虚拟设施原型开发案例研究学习模块。这些学习模块将被纳入本科课程，并自由地传播到其他大学，以便更广泛地使用。VFPs在工程教育中的应用将对学生对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，VFPs将有助于创造积极、有吸引力的学习环境，并提高对工程学科优秀学生的吸引力和保留率。该项目对AEC行业的影响将是重大而广泛的，因为它将重新定义如何在虚拟环境中对设施进行概念化、设计和建造。该项目还将展示VFPs在为其他行业（如造船、飞机制造和大型设备制造行业）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