An Integrated Laboratory for Collaborative Design in the Air Transportation System

At the Institute of Air Transportation Systems of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), methods for collaborative design are systematically developed and assessed. These collaborative design approaches are used to gain knowledge on the overall air transportation system. A collaborative working environment–the Integrated Design Laboratory (IDL) is established. It forms an experimental technical platform for integrating the competences of disciplinary experts within DLR. Within the laboratory, technical solutions, collaboration methodologies and organisation of teamwork are provided and evaluated to enhance multimodal communication between specialists. In this paper, experiences from previous DLR projects as well as observations on similar facilities are used to identify research areas. In a pilot study, requirements for the design room are laid out. The initial setup of the laboratory is presented, after which a research roadmap for enhancing collaborative design at DLR is presented.