An Extended Reality (XR) Design Workflow for 3D Design Processes

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Brief​

This research explores how virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) can enhance students' understanding, visualization, and identification of structural and material behavior. This project, part of my Master of Science in Design Computing thesis, resulted in the development of a VR tool designed to improve student learning through case-based instruction.

Problem

One challenge for students is anticipating the behavior of tensile structures and their form-finding process from the initial shape to the final state. Consideration of material properties, internal and exterior stresses, and structural performance at the architectural scale all contribute to this difficulty.

The second challenge is to provide an intuitive embodied sense of immersion for students throughout the learning process for complex arrangements of structural elements.

Platform Analysis

During this phase, we evaluated various design and sketch platforms to determine the optimal setup for developing the learning tool. Mindesk's advantage was its ability to transmit data directly from Rhinoceros to a VR headset without the need for additional software. However, its disadvantage was the lack of customization and data manipulation options.

Ultimately, we chose to construct the prototype using Unity, as it allows for seamless streaming of C# code between Grasshopper and Unity, enabled by a wide range of plugins and libraries.

Methodology

This study uses a mixed-methods approach, analyzing pre-test and post-test data from the experiments. The quantitative data will show whether students are better able to identify and visualize tensile structure components and behavior after using virtual reality compared to the control group. Additionally, the qualitative data will reflect improvements in students' mental models and provide feedback for enhancing the platform’s usability.

Questions

This project aimed to determine how students learned in a virtual reality environment and whether their spatial ability influenced their learning and satisfaction. The research investigation focused on the following questions:

1. Does virtual reality as a medium improve students' understanding of complex spatial arrangements?

2. How does VR affect students' ability to visualize or identify structural and material behavior?

3. How will students and instructors perceive this tool in terms of its impact on student learning?

Broader Impacts and Contribution

The significance of this research lies in its focus on the effectiveness of using immersive technologies in studio environments with spatial frameworks and the potential for redesigning traditional learning materials into virtual reality to support students with lower visuospatial skills. Incorporating new mediums with instructional approaches can create a richer, more engaging learning environment, enhancing the performance of students with diverse cognitive styles, such as different learning styles and spatial abilities.