In this blog post, we will examine how virtual reality and CAD technology are combining to evolve into next-generation platforms and the impact this will have on various industries and everyday life.
How far has virtual reality come?
An unexpected guest arrived at Hall 3 of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) exhibition center in Barcelona, Spain. It was Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook. After briefly greeting Koh Dong-jin, president of Samsung Electronics’ mobile communications division, he gave a short speech on the topic of “Virtual Reality (VR) as the Next-Generation Platform.” Zuckerberg discussed the endless possibilities for the development of virtual reality and urged people to take an interest in it.
The 88th Academy Awards were held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, USA. Leonardo DiCaprio finally won the Best Actor award for his role in “The Revenant” after five nominations, and Emmanuel Lubezki, the cinematographer of the same film, set a new record by winning the Academy Award for Best Cinematography for the third consecutive year. Notably, the gray bear that heightened the tension in the early part of the film and caused DiCaprio’s hardships appeared in the audience during the Best Actor award ceremony, bringing laughter to many who witnessed the moment.
These events demonstrate the impact and rapid development of virtual reality, which blurs the line between reality and fiction. At the very moment when Zuckerberg urged people to pay attention to virtual reality, it had already deeply penetrated the public consciousness through the medium of film. The gray bear in “The Revenant” displayed the same swiftness and weight as a real bear, eliciting gasps of awe. However, this gray bear was not a real bear but a fake created by humans. Facebook’s acquisition of virtual reality technology company Oculus for 2.5 trillion won was likely driven by the elegance and potential of virtual reality to overcome the limitations of monitors, which provide only a flat field of view, by minimizing the distance between the monitor and the human eye and offering a realistic spatial sense encompassing 360 degrees in all directions.
Why is CAD needed in virtual reality?
The fundamental premise of virtual reality is to provide users with a visually realistic experience, so the success of virtual reality heavily relies on the detailed and precise depiction of objects. Such object modeling is primarily achieved using CAD (Computer-Aided Design) programs such as AutoCAD and Shade 3D.
CAD stands for “computer-aided design,” and its origins lie in the industrial field, where it was developed to replace the tedious and repetitive task of drawing blueprints by hand. CAD programs used in industrial settings have different purposes. For example, AutoCAD is primarily used for creating two-dimensional drawings of parts, SolidWorks is used to verify the overall operating principles of products and check for interference between parts, and CATIA is used for product exteriors due to its ability to express smooth curves. These specialized features clearly distinguish CAD from general drawing tools such as pencils and rulers.
However, CAD has transcended its limited perception as a design technique in industrial settings and is now being utilized in various fields of our daily lives. The advantage of CAD lies in its ability to precisely replicate objects we wish to create through simple manipulations, enabling us to analyze and provide feedback on the results without actually producing the physical object. In other words, the virtual reality experience enabled by CAD offers the benefit of reducing costs and time for both sellers and consumers.
For example, the Invisalign company in the United States has ingeniously addressed the drawbacks of traditional metal braces. They analyze a customer’s dental structure using CAD, consult with a dentist to develop a treatment plan, and then manufacture the braces. These braces are custom-made for each individual customer and are made of transparent plastic. This consideration provides customers with a comfortable fit and the confidence to smile with a flawless, clean appearance. Another example is the wig manufacturer Hi-Mo. Hi-Mo uses CAD to create a 3D model of the customer’s head, allowing them to design and experience various hairstyles. This enables consumers to choose the product that best suits them, enjoying both cost-effective and high-quality services.
To meet the diverse needs of today’s consumers, CAD provides a virtual reality experience that is fast, inexpensive, and, above all, safe and comfortable, leading to greater customer satisfaction.
What is the appeal of CAD?
Contrary to popular belief, CAD is more like an art tool than an engineering technology. Designing with CAD is an art that is built up over time, rather than a mathematical problem involving difficult calculations and complex formulas. To be precise, CAD is similar to modeling in the field of art. Just as modeling involves creating the framework of the desired shape and then adding parts one by one, CAD also works by adding elements one by one on top of a basic framework. CAD designers are similar to artisans who carefully craft pottery with their hands.
” Second, CAD can be flexibly utilized in various fields. Currently, CAD is used in a wide range of fields beyond engineering, such as architecture, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and electronics, extending to advertising, fashion design, film, drama, medicine, and beauty. Even in modern art, computer art utilizing CAD and other computer programs is gaining prominence. The media art of the late artist Nam June Paik is an example of how CAD is being recognized as a useful tool for visually representing ideas that are difficult for humans to express.
In this regard, there is a growing view that CAD should be viewed not as a scientific and technological tool but as an artistic medium. Third, CAD has evolved beyond a simple tool to become an assistant that aids human decision-making processes. By utilizing the algorithms of artificial intelligence (AI) expert systems, it is possible to create an infinitely diverse virtual reality. Thus, CAD, which began as a tool for creating simple drawings, has evolved from an assistant in creating virtual reality to a catalyst for leading the virtual reality world of the future. As discussed above, CAD is evolving from technology to art, from complex industrial sites to our daily lives, and from a simple drawing tool to a human assistant.
What was once a program designed to replace the arduous manual labor of holding a pencil and drawing by hand is now becoming the very hands of humans themselves. The future will be a hyper-realistic society based on virtual reality, and this will be realized through CAD. Therefore, I urge engineering students to not only acquire various skills but also to develop CAD proficiency as a fundamental competency.
