Uwe Woessner explained that in construction you can build a physical prototype and do the analysis but you can also work with simulation and then proceed to analysis. There are virtual prototypes and hybrid prototypes. In the case of hybrid prototypes, you integrate the simulation part with the physical prototype.

For the user interface, you work with a Virtual Reality user interface, a tablet PC, a tangible interface and multi touch.

It is important that for collaborative environments, different working infrastructures can be integrated seamlessly.

in the typical simulation process, the user performs geometry generation to modify the geometry, then executes mesh generation to refine the process. The following step is domain decomposition using an algorithm to calculate the number of domains. In the simulation, the user can perform a boundary condition, do the post-processing and finishes with the visualization.

Uwe Woessner gave a few examples of the process where the audience could see the engineer in the cave performing the visualization and manipulating it. These examples included interactive simulation in COVISE, the Virtual Turbine Testbed where the engineer stays in his virtual role during the entire process.

For hybrid prototyping, engineers are working in a mixed reality where augmented reality is used for comparison of the simulation and the experiment. The visualization is directly focused on the product.

Examples included the deep drawing of a cup, Computational Electrodynamics, and the Model Wind Tunnel at the FKFS.

For hybrid prototyping, the integration of simulation with the physical prototype, there are different application areas in diverse collaborative modes. In loose collaboration modes for instance the views are not synchronized whereas in tight collaboration modes, the views will be completely synchronized.

Partners can join a collaborative session with either a physical prototype, a Mixed Reality or a pure virtual prototype. The interaction is possible from all sites.

Uwe Woessner also showed an example of Interactive City Planning where you could see the interactive surface simulation in action. ARCTIS is still another example of interactive hybrid prototyping, a promising field in the visualization area.