`As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by human nature and technology. Hence, I have strived to combine these fascinations in my education and work. My goal is to develop an innovative technology with which people can interact in a natural way. Therefore, I have chosen a subject that is as much about humans as it is about technology: the integration of virtual reality in product design.
The most important factor in product development is, without doubt, the end-user. A product's success is guaranteed when it fulfills the needs of its users better than other products. Designers are starting to realize that the end-users can play an active role in the design process, as they know best what a product should look like, which characteristics to include and which to exclude. In our project `Synthetic Environments,' the potential end-users are asked to participate in the development of a product as if they are members of the design team.
Only a few decades ago, designing products was an expert's job. Only experts were able to understand the complex technical drawings and the users were consulted only after the completion of the product. Therefore, all the processes from sketch to physical prototype were dominated by the expert designer. Nowadays, we also have the technology to make realistic images of products even before they come into existence. With this technological development, a new product intended for a specific group of users, such as an electric wheelchair for handicapped children, can be simulated in a virtual environment. During these simulations, a number of handicapped children may be asked to test the wheelchair virtually and give their feedback to the designers.
More and more, virtual reality is being used to make designs as vivid as possible. A virtual product can now be placed in a virtual environment in such a way that its effectiveness can be tested by the end-users. Because the end-users are involved at an early stage of the design process, the product design can still be easily adapted. Furthermore, the reality of a virtual environment enhances communication between designers and users. Both parties can understand the vivid imagery of the virtual prototype and can debate about the possibilities and limitations of the product. In the Synthetic Environments project we investigate whether it is possible to create such an environment, what this environment should look like and what methods to apply to involve those users. My job is to focus specifically on the end-users.
With the possibility to construct imaginary environments in which the end-users can explore virtual prototypes freely, we hope for more creative products. Besides the end-user, the companies also benefit from these virtual environments; they can create products more efficiently and effectively. In my opinion, future technology will be more advanced and it will be easier to create virtual prototypes, further enabling the participation of the end-users in designing the products they buy.'
Frank Meijer, PhD candidate at the department of Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, faculty of Behavioral Sciences.
