BAE Systems is using 3D virtual reality technology to explore Navy warships before they have been built, solving engineering problems at design stage.

Equipped with virtual reality glasses, a ship designer can explore the digital decks of a warship, checking that everything is where it should be, and getting a feel of what it’s like to work on board – and all this before designs have left the drawing board.

Virtual reality technology is used by BAE Systems to critique the 3D CAD (computer aided design) of ships for the Navy. Life size 3D images of the interior of a vessel are projected onto cinematic style screens, and engineers can move from deck to deck using a 3D mouse or digital wand, peering under pipes, checking sight lines and walkways.

They can get a better understanding of the depth and scale of the ship which isn’t possible with regular design programmes. If anything is out of place, engineers can flag it up before costly mistakes are made. How easily could crew evacuate if a fire broke out below deck for instance? Or could an engineer reach a piece of equipment to service it?

Put the engineers in 3D glasses and they can fly around the ship

“Once you’ve worked with virtual reality, you wonder how you ever coped without it,” says Kevin Williams, principal visualisation engineer at BAE Systems. He’s been using the technology in Glasgow at one of BAE Systems’ five visualisation suites around the UK, where engineers are working on the new offshore patrol vessels and the new Type 26 frigates for the Navy.

Before this design method came into play, teams tended to work on a project in isolation, says Mr Williams. Only when a ship reached the prototype stage – when engineers would rely on wood or cardboard models – could different teams come together and collaborate properly.

A new point of view: 3D headsets allow engineers to explore the virtual ship

Now, groups of designers can work together simultaneously from different suites around the UK as they “get inside the heads” of naval crew on board and update designs daily. “We are collaborating in a way that didn’t happen before,” says Mr Williams.

Once a design is refined, BAE Systems can show the Ministry of Defence around the digital prototype; the technology helps make designs more accessible to non-engineers unfamiliar with specialist software. “Put them in 3D glasses and they can fly around the ship,” says Mr Williams. At this stage, defence experts might spot hiccoughs and correct them.

“We saw, for instance, that the sightline from the bridge to the bow on the offshore patrol vessels wasn’t clear, so we adapted this whilst still in design phase. This would have added cost to the programme if we had to remedy this further down the line,” he says.

Playing smart: the virtual reality technology will feel familiar to games console users

Over the years it takes to design and build ships, ordering the right parts at the right time is critical. “With this technology we can work out when we will assemble and weld certain parts of the ship, so we can know what equipment to order – a gear box for instance, and when.”

Eventually, says Mr Williams, technology could be improved to accommodate the laws of physics. Currently it can’t, for instance, demonstrate the forces of a helicopter or plane landing on deck, or account for effects of gravity. “What stress does an aircraft put on a deck, and where? That’s an avenue we are looking to explore as well as increased spatial awareness,” he adds.

While highly qualified engineers might need extra training in mastering the new design technology, school children who visit are utterly at home. “Moving around the programme isn’t that different from their experience of gaming consoles for instance,” he says. “It’s very intuitive.”