Students reading for degrees offered by The University of Strathclyde’s Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management (DMEM) Department benefit from a fully integrated series of virtual and physical prototyping systems. The Virtual Reality (VR) element was the last component to be added to this state-of-the-art studio, with all the VR hardware and software being supplied by Virtalis.

“Virtalis has more experience of this kind of turnkey installation than anyone else.  Their depth of knowledge engendered confidence.” Gordon Mair, Senior Lecturer in Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management Department within the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Strathclyde.

INTEGRATED DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT

Strathclyde students can now create a design in CAD, take that data into the VR systems and view their design stereoscopically, with a full 3D depth effect. They can then make changes in CAD and re-review or transfer the data over to one of several high spec rapid prototyping machines to create a physical object. Both undergraduates and postgraduates will benefit from this facility – roughly 400 students. The University is also making its digital design and manufacture studio available for use by local industry.

THE VIRTALIS SOLUTION

Virtalis has supplied the University of Strathclyde with a front projected StereoWorks Passive System. It consists of the latest stereo viewing hardware coupled with the company’s own specialist software suite, StereoTools. The basic system, which offers SXGA resolution, has two small Christie projectors, a seven-foot screen and a compact PC image generator with wireless control. As well as supporting VR and VR-enabled CAD software for real-time stereo design, StereoWorks also allows high resolution digital stereo movie playback at very high bandwidth.