Virtual facility layout design using virtual reality techniques

Manufacturing facility layout design has long been recognized as one of the most critical and difficult design tasks in manufacturing industries. Traditional layout methods can not fully solve this complex spatial layout problem. Virtual reality (VR) is a new form of human-computer interaction, which has the potential to support a range of engineering applications. This paper discusses the reasons why manufacturing facility layout design is considered to be an appropriate new area of VR utilization. A VR-based layout design framework is proposed. The virtual environment construction issues are discussed. An example of the immersive VR application of facility layout is examined.