A Virtual Reality Design Environment with Intelligent Objects and Autonomous Agents
Maia Engeli, David Kurmann · Research Repository (Delft University of Technology) · 1996
New technological achievements and research results allow for the creation of innovative design tools for architects, that do not originate from paper-based paradigms but instead make optimised use of the present technology and programming concepts.The core of our system is comprised of an intuitive interactive modelling tool.It runs in a virtual reality set-up, where the user can use 3D glasses to experience rooms and 3D input devices to model in three dimensions.The interface is free from widget-like buttons or menus, so that the user is undisturbed when moving into the virtual world of the design.The system can also run in a distributed fashion, so that a number of users can look at and modify the same design.The 3D model can be generated in a sketch-like fashion using solids and voids, void modelling turns out to be very valuable for architectural design.The objects in this system can contain forms of intelligence to produce such behaviour as: falling because of gravity, collision avoidance, and autonomous motion.Interactive behaviour can also be assigned to the objects.Autonomous Agents are added to the system to enhance the designer support.These are agents that enhance the virtual environment, agents that take over tasks, and agents that help to test the design.The system shows new interface and interaction approaches that support the architectural design process intelligently.The motivation for our work is to invent a design environment for architects, based on the most recent hardand software developments.These are mainly Virtual Reality (VR) interaction tools, fast graphics libraries, and new approaches in Artificial Intelligence (AI).The work is further guided by research on human computer inter-action as well as the architectural design process.The goal is to find a new approach which improves upon the design process and therefore the quality of the design result.