Cutting-edge lab for product design

The University of Warwick's Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) is to set up the Warwick Digital Laboratory - a £50m research environment for product development.

The lab’s work will include use of emerging 3D visualisation techniques and interactive tools to bring together designers with customers in the conceptual design, prototyping and testing of products in virtual reality before production.

This WMG said such technology is a good catalyst for innovation as the cost of design failure in a virtual world is little more than ‘a learning experience'.

The lab will carry out research in many fields including digital manufacturing, mass customisation and digital healthcare. Construction will begin this year on its £12.5m building, which will provide a research base for multidisciplinary teams with expertise in areas such as manufacturing, medical informatics, electronics fabrication and nanotechnology.

Work on digital manufacturing will support the lifecycle of products, from the early stages (so potential customers will be able to visualise and interact with virtual products) to disposal (so policy makers can be shown that there will be environmental harm).