Conceptual Design

Virtual Measuring Tools (V.L.T)

By C.J. Sharkey

Up above, my chosen inspiration elements shows a person using a power tool in a V.R. station, and the NASA VEW where you can see a person interacting within a virtual environment in wireframe perspectives. I wanted to combine these 2 elements specifically for my design of a new project that would combine both the interactive environment, and provide tools, to help with real life measurement simulations for consumers who look to build architecture, homework experiences, or all measurements in general.

What Contemporary Hardware is there for the V.L.T?

Is there any new hardware that I want to create or make for the V.L.T?

Specifically, I’d want more than just a virtual reality pen for the V.L.T. I’d want to create specific hardware such as a physical paint brush, a physical & scale-able ruler, as well as offering many virtual measuring tools and architectural designing equipment as possible that fits in to the player/consumer so they can go free for their creativity. I think having the ability to control and simulate measurements and being able to express using both a VR headset and its controls, and additional hardware to do architectural designs will help make concept things a lot easier for a lot of people, and it can be used by multiple people, architects, people who want to re-do their homes, children who want to build their own future house for when they get older. V.L.T hopes to inspire those who want to concept out their architectural future, as well as their artistic creativity to create concepts for homes which can be shared with others if V.L.T is developed. One of the main pieces of hardware V.L.T needs to be able to have is custom sensors that can scan and simulate large objects in a room, such as desks, hanging portraits, cups, anything that is any obvious appearing object that can be measured and scaled and replaced to simulate things for the user to deal with.

What would V.L.T look like? Both in VR & Real Life?

Well V.L.T would simulate and scan around for the actual size of your room using the users experience and help. It simulates the size of a specific area, whether what VR headset you use so that you can begin to measure your house in the right size and scale, and preparing the user to begin measuring what they need to measure. Tools are available on swap for the player, as well as the real life hardware that will also simulate the size and scale of what they’re currently measuring if they’re looking to create or simulate something in real life. In real life, physically the user would actually be measuring their environment and gathering data to use from V.L.T, as it will submit data to he user and telling them measurements of a specific spot of their area. This can be for homes, a engineering project, a art piece, even a portrait measurement for a photo that can be hung up on the wall at a family’s home, which is one of the great things that V.L.T could do. It offers opportunities for users to express their creativity if they want to change something to their environment and simulate and get the right measurements for their area.

V.L.T Conceptual Sketches

What Motivated me to concept out V.L.T?

Honestly, all of VR. VR is such an amazing thing to this generation that it can be used for so many things. I perhaps, am a big fan of using it to create tools and experiences for players or users to use to learn and enjoy new things. I think offering solutions or helping users solve problems and make things easier and let them go free and wild on their creativity is important. Starting with basic tools like measuring things and finding out scale, is one of personal problems when it comes to my own home architectural design, an Measuring has been one of my flaws since I’m a visual designer more than I am a hands-on and I would like to see in the future and design things that can solve a problem like mine for many others by getting them involved in a visual and virtual experience that can use hardware and future technology to measure things in a efficient way.