Development of virtual reality-based universal design review system

When designing universal design products or their interfaces, it is necessary to have knowledge about the environment in which the target product is going to be used. Product development should consider the interaction between the envisaged product or a demo product with the same functions on the one hand, and the users on the other, as well as observing the everyday activities of typical users, understanding the procedures and methods for using the product and subsequently pinpointing the areas which are problematic or in need of improvement. To evaluate whether the designed product is easy to use, and to improve its usability, it is also essential to record the perceptions of the people, the movement characteristics, the operability, any mental or physical stress, and so on. There is a need for products and environments which are easily applicable to various people and utilizational setups. In this paper, we present the development of a tangible design review system which makes use of virtual reality technology to display a close model of the actual product, making readily available not only visual information but also the perception of volume and weight through the fusion of kinesthetic information, enabling many people to communicate easily while experiencing this virtual reality. Furthermore, the design review of universal design products which makes use of this system will be discussed.