Patent ID: 8615383

Claim:
A system for evaluating an engineering design, the system comprising: a virtual reality simulator being positioned to receive computer-aided design (CAD) data comprising a CAD design and to create a full-scale, three-dimensional virtual reality simulation from the CAD design data, the three-dimensional virtual reality simulation being displayed on one or more stereoscopic head mounted displays, each of the one or more head mounted displays having a different perspective of the virtual reality simulation; a motion capture system being incorporated into the virtual reality simulator and being positioned to track the movements of one or more users within the virtual reality simulation simultaneously, the motion capture system comprising: one or more motion capture bodysuits, gloves, and headgear having markers at predetermined locations, a plurality of cameras in preselected locations positioned to record images that capture movements of the one or more users wearing a motion capture bodysuit, gloves, and headgear, and one or more computers to digitally record locations of the markers associated with the bodysuit, gloves, and headgear as the one or more users interact in the simulation, responsive to the recorded images from the plurality of cameras; and an immersive observation system where the one or more users view the virtual reality simulation stereoscopically and in real time to thereby define a common immersive environment so that the one or more users can evaluate the CAD design; whereby the tracked movements of the one or more users drive one or more avatars within the virtual reality simulation and movements of the one or more avatars correspond to the tracked movements of the one or more users; wherein the virtual reality simulator is further positioned to detect a collision between an avatar and the three-dimensional virtual reality simulation from the CAD design and to cause a portion of the avatar to disappear from a view of a user of the one or more users to provide feedback for the detected collision.