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1.2 Collaborative Design
In this paragraph are brought any definition that consent to understand better the
meaning of the collaborative design.
1.2.1 Definitions
According with Wikipedia, the Collaboration is:
“A recursive process where two or more people or organizations work together
toward an intersection of common goals”
While Dino Dini, game developer, defines the Design as:
“Every form of creation from objects such as chairs to the way we plan and execute
our lives”
In other words, collaborative design means work all together to reach the common
objective: create something.
1.2.2 Importance of Collaborative Design
The collaborative design phase has two main components: conceptual design (the
macro level) where fundamental and sweeping ideas are evaluated; and principal
design or characterization (the micro level) where the details are composed.
Conceptual design, by its “soft” nature, is often difficult to capture, visualise or
communicate electronically among a multidisciplinary design team, especially when
the team is geographically dispersed. Conceptual design issues at stake are highly
interdisciplinary, and often involve collaboration from customers, designers, and
engineers. Conceptual design can have a powerful impact on manufacturing
productivity and product quality. The concept generated at this stage affects the
basic shape generation and material selection of the product concerned. In the
subsequent phase of detailed design, it becomes extremely difficult, or even
impossible to compensate or to correct the shortcomings of a poor design concept
formulated at the conceptual design phase.
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1.3 Virtual Collaborative Design
In recent years there has been an increase of the interest in the virtual environments
because they allow real-time multi-user collaboration by designers in different
physical locations.
One of the main advantages of a virtual environment is that it allows users to be
immersed in the environment, allowing for real-time walkthroughs and collaboration.
Moreover, CAD models contain a great deal of detail which makes real-time
interaction extremely difficult. In the collaborative virtual world, agent technology is
used to facilitate communication between the users, the virtual world views, and the
object-oriented models.
Due to the lack of CAD abilities, the use of a virtual environment has been used
within this research for possible virtual collaborative design where individual’s
backgrounds and positions are covered promoting a mean of free thinking.
1.4 Structure of Thesis
The thesis has been broken down into seven logical chapters. Each chapter has a
specific area of focus which details specific tasks that make up the research thesis.
ξ Chapter 1 begins the thesis by describing the research background, problem
area and motivations along with a structure of the thesis.
ξ Chapter 2 provides an extensive literature search into the area of
collaborative design and virtual environments.
ξ Chapter 3 describes the research aims, objectives and methodology that the
author aspired to achieve.
ξ Chapter 4 details the creation of a Concept Creation Methodology using SL
environment.
A Concept Creation Methodology within Second Life immersive virtual environment for
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ξ Chapter 5 describes how to develop products using a virtual environment
such as Second Life.
ξ Chapter 6 describes the ways in which the experiments and results were
validated and a detailed analysis of results is conduced.
ξ Chapter 7 concludes the research by reflecting upon findings as well as
acknowledging the limitations to the research and contributions made to
knowledge.
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2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
With the modern day’s fast-changing economy, product designs are becoming
increasingly complex while demands for faster design cycles never end. Closer
collaboration between business partners and streamlined integration of engineering
processes are becoming essential factors to succeeding in the competitive global
environment. Modern CAD solutions and revolutionary Internet technologies facilitate
such real-time business-to-business (B2B) design collaboration (Kao, 2004).
Virtual collaboration depends upon the ability to share representations of integrated
engineering knowledge, geometric definition, physical characteristics, and other
product information. Most CAD packages to date are unable to facilitate for these
needs leading engineers and designers to use third party software to help share this
information.
The following literature review has been conducted to help fully understand and
appreciate the subject along with generating a study of previously published work.
The literature review has been broken down into three main sections all of which are
relevant to the topic of “Concept Creation Techniques and Virtual Environments for
Product Development”.
Firstly, virtual environments for possible product development are acknowledged and
comparisons of these environments are conducted. Secondly, details previous
studies and approaches that have been recognized for product development though
virtual environments. Finally, the third section of the study presents some case
studies.
2.2 Second Life virtual environment
Linden Research Inc is a privately owned American Internet company founded by
Philip Rosedale in 1999 who at the age of 17 started his own company selling
database systems to small businesses. The company was formed with the intension
of creating a revolutionary new form of shared experience, where individuals jointly
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inhabit a three dimensional landscape and build the world around them. Today this
experience is known as the SL (Linden Lab, Siemens, 2008).
Second Life is the most popular Internet-based virtual world, developed by Linden
Research Inc, which came to international attention via mainstream news media in
late 2006 and early 2007. SL has grown dramatically and today is inhabited by
millions of residents from around the globe. The downloadable client program
enables its residents to interact with each other through motional avatars, providing
an advanced level of social network service. Residents can explore, meet other
residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities and create and trade
items amongst each other. Simply put, SL is a user-defined world in which people
can interact, play, do business, and otherwise communicate (Wikipedia, 2008). Such
sophisticated yet realistic functionality offered by SL that have attracted the attention
of highly regarded companies such as Warner Brothers, IBM, Adidas, Siemens and
Toyota to implement global projects with the environment.
In 2008 SL was honoured at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy
Awards for advancing the development of online sites with user generated content.
2.2.1 Second Life Collaboration Features
Second Life incorporates many features that aided and assist avatars whilst
collaborating within the environment. A Second Life book titled “Creating your world”
by Weber and Second Life’s very own personal Wiki state many of the feature
available in Second Life. After reviewing the features available the following features
have been determined to assist collaboration within Second Life:
- Chat and Group Instance Messaging – Allow groups to communicate via
text in world
- Scripted Communication – Special scripts allow avatars to communicate
with specific avatars whilst working in a group. Scripts also allow email to be
sent from within the Second Life environment.
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- VoIP – Communication between groups via speakers and microphones allow
easier communication.
- Streaming Video, Audio and URLS – May allows avatars to train via videos,
audio links and view web site from Second Life.
- Collaborative Building - Allows access to avatars part of a group to
manipulate and change objects on group buildings.
- Own Land – Groups are able to purchase private land where only their
activities are able to take place.
The found features that Second Life incorporates are too large to list. Therefore the
stated features are the main features that have been determined to aid group
collaboration within Second Life.
2.2.2 Tools to Enhance Second Life
With Second Life’s fast growing user base, both Second Life and other companies
are quickly realizing the potential of the virtual world. This has resulted in new
compatible tools being produced for the environment. An article written by Beth
Stackpole (2008) states that Siemens PLM software have produced a new tool that
lets visitors creates their own 3D Razor Scooter while exposing them to the
possibilities of CAD software.
The new interactive tool in Siemens’ Second Life Island is modelled in Solid Edge
2D/3D hybrid design system giving visitors the opportunity to click through a range of
selections to create a custom-built scooter in less than a minute.
Further research into this area uncovered another interesting article by Booker
(2007) which has documented literature of new software produced by “Al-Design
Studio” named “Henshin”. The Henshin software converts AutoCAD files into a
default language which Second Life understands, this results in AutoCAD designs
being reproduced within the Second Life environment with the click of a few buttons.
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With this new software architects have a quick and easy way to render designs in
Second Life and walk potential clients through the buildings.
Linden Lab themselves have seen this potential in Second Life and have built in tools
that enable online software to be directly streamed into Second Life. A brief article
written by Santo (2008) has shown the way in which online software can be
streamed.
Although the Santo article has been documented with the “Google Docs” software
being streamed into Second Life, the streaming principles are the same for any on-
line software.
2.2.3 Research in Second Life
With Second Life’s increasing and already large user base many research projects
have been conducted within the environment with a purpose of using SL
collaboration features to the projects benefits. Lang (2008) presents an article
detailing the project of two swiss students that used the SL environment for their
business and psychology study. The students were interested in using SL as a new
form of data collection and executing surveys within the SL environment using social
issues within the USA as a topic. Avatars met with the students in SL where they
were briefed about the study and then put thought a series of tasks and questions to
answers in order for the students to extract the data they needed.
A research project conducted by Santa Carla University developed a New Media
Consortium (NMC) which they intended to build on their campus. The research
project was designed to address the main situation of time estimation of building the
physical NMC. The development of the virtual NMC was timed so that an estimate of
time needed to develop the real building could be produced along with additional
building features that could be implemented. During the early stage of construction
students were given the opportunity to provide feedback on certain designs aspects
of the building (Santa Carla Island, 2008).
A study titled “Second Life in the Class Room” by Hornik (2008) provides details of a
lectures attempt to gain feedback from students on an SL driven lecture. Professor
Steven Hornik created a number of 3D models and interactive tools to support a
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lecture he conducted within the SL environment, once completed, the students were
given the opportunity to relay information back to Hornik about the SL lecture.
According to the Hornik 56% of students found SL difficult to use, however, 56% of
student stated that if SL had been easier to use students would have used the
environment more frequently as a tool for learning.
The projects stated above have driven others to use SL for the same purpose. Some
other research projects currently being conducted are those of The University of
California, in collaboration with eLab city. The project, currently in development on
two islands, intends to study consumer behaviour in virtual worlds (Novack, 2007)
while Second Life Wiki (2007), states a number of academics and journalists have
formed a group with the intent of conducting a research which will detail the
community and Residents within SL.
2.2.4 Second Life’s Advantages and Disadvantages
Wikipedia (2008) claims that the growth of the SL environment over the past 15
months has risen dramatically from approximately 150,000 in January 2006 to
450,000 residents in May 2008. These records are in line of those published by
Second Life (2008) themselves who state that the residential owned land has
dramatically increased from 90 million square meters in 2006 to 850 million square
meters at the end of 2007.
With such large increases in numbers many managers are realizing the benefits of
utilizing SL for more than just the one-time market stage or promotion campaign.
This dramatic raise in numbers has prompted a number of authors to publish
advantages of SL. The following advantages have been taken from Power (2007):
ξ Easy access and low cost – SL can be obtained from the SL website is a
free downloadable environment.
ξ Experienced and dedicated designer/builders – SL designers provide
broad, flexible and easy content authoring experiences for developers.
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ξ Tools and venues for communications-driven decision support – The
tools include streaming video, voice, PowerPoint, agenda and meeting
management tools and chat recorders.
ξ A large and dedicated user base – It is relatively low cost to hire avatars to
work for you in SL. Forums, knowledge bases and support is equally as strong
within SL.
ξ Impression management and creativity enhancement – Avatars are able to
look however you want. For example, users are able to construct an avatar to
look like themselves if wanted.
ξ Easy data integration from real life (RSS feeds) – The possibilities for
integrating data from various Web sources into SL are expanding rapidly.
ξ The space is persistent – What avatars create and leave somewhere will
remain there such as the physical world.
ξ Exploration and discovery are enabled – Ideas, prototypes, simulated
interactions can be explored and tested out with much greater confidence as
the possible damage; risks, costs and time required are truly negligible.
ξ Fantasy and imagination can be unleashed – Avatars are able to put
forward ideas that they normally would not within the physical world and
conduct classes, meetings and workshops in whatever environment they feel
necessary.
ξ Ability to record – Recording activities that take place within SL are a lot
easier as each avatar is able to record what they see. This in return allows
avatars to relive the experiences easily.
ξ Reduces prejudice – Avatars will be given equality and judged by their true
abilities, not by creed, colour or religion.
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