Towards a methodology to build virtual reality manufacturing systems based on free open software technologies

Virtual reality and augmented reality are being increasingly used in the manufacturing field for different purposes. As a result, these technologies seem to have a very promising future in the manufacturing industry. However, most of the current applications are based on the use of expensive proprietary software packages (such as specific CAD modules). This work presents a methodology that helps programmers to build virtual and augmented reality systems, which is valid for a broad number of industrial plants. Differently to other approaches, ours is based on open technologies, most of them free of cost. The technologies proposed to build the virtual worlds are already mature at the entertainment industry. The presented approach opens new possibilities for creating virtual reality models aimed at two major directions: (1) pure simulation of real processes and products for different purposes (e.g. staff training; prototype designing; manufacturing optimization; marketing) and (2) teleoperation of real processes (e.g. in dangerous environments or in micro and macro scale manufacturing). The application of the methodology is illustrated by means of the creation of a non-immersive virtual world which represents a part-classifying station, allowing both the simulation of the real plant as well as its remote operation.