Virtual and augmented reality support for discrete manufacturing system simulation

To overcome these weak points, intuitive and understandable man-machine interfaces like augmented and virtual reality can be used. This paper describes the architecture of a system which uses the technologies of augmented and virtual reality to support the planning process of complex manufacturing systems. The proposed system assists the user in modeling, the validation of the simulation model, and the subsequent optimization of the production system. A general application of the VR- and AR-technologies and of the simulation is realized by the development of appropriate linking and integration mechanisms. For the visualization of the arising 3D-data within the VR- and AR-environments, a dedicated 3D-rendering library is used.