ABSTRACT

Virtual reality (VR) is a popular information technology in design and manufacturing. In the conceptual design stage, VR has been proved to be an auxiliary tool with great potential. However, the development of VR in the conceptual design has not been systematically investigated. This study conducted a review of the application of VR in the conceptual design stage on design activities and cognitive needs in recent 18 years. This study proposed a framework of design activities and cognitive needs in the conceptual design stage based on the design information cycle model. The technical characteristics are analysed and role of VR in each phase of conceptual design is discussed. Then the principle and application value in developments of VR technology for conceptual design are analysed. Finally, the research directions and application scheme of VR in conceptual design in the future are discussed.

摘要

虚拟现实（VR）是设计和制造中流行的信息技术。在概念设计阶段，VR已被证明是一种极具潜力的辅助工具。然而，VR在概念设计中的发展还没有得到系统的研究。本研究对近18年来VR在概念设计阶段对设计活动和认知需求的应用进行了回顾。本研究提出了基于设计信息循环模型的概念设计阶段设计活动和认知需求的框架。分析了技术特征，并讨论了 VR 在概念设计的每个阶段中的作用。然后分析了虚拟现实技术在概念设计开发中的原理和应用价值。最后，