History

2020

• Extension of the VETC laboratory by a second room. Thus converting the entire laboratory into a hybrid, collaborative working environment for simultaneous and time-shifted work using VR technologies.

2019

• Research project "Collaborative agile project management in digital factory and warehouse planning": Process models of agile project management, e.g. Design Thinking, Scrum etc., are integrated into the process of digital factory and warehouse planning. The results are a hybrid project management system and collaboratively agile working methods for simultaneous, time-shifted and virtual work with VR technologies in the New World.

2017

• Research project “Immersive VR Systems in Digital Factory Planning“: Development of a planning methodology, in particular using immersive technologies such as Powerwall with full-body tracking and head-mounted devices (HMD).

2014 - 2015

• Research project “Construction of a Digital Learning Factory“: Development of a digital factory and warehouse demonstrator in the VR systems of the VETC. Learning and training scenarios are set up there which are used for training and planning purposes.

2013

• Research project “Cyber-Physical Systems in Virtual Environments“: A team of students from the MSc Operations Management degree programme at ESB Business School develop in cooperation with the School of Informatics at Reutlingen University ideas and impulses for further business game concepts in virtual, i.e. spatially and temporally distributed, space.

2011

• The Virtual Engineering and Training Center, VETC, opens on 1 January 2011 at ESB Business School, Reutlingen University.
• In March 2011 the new VR Powerwall (6 x 2.7 m) with tracking system is deployed so that immersive planning processes can now be integrated into the business games.

2010

• The business games are completely reworked and transferred to a new setting both with regard to contents and technology: Virtual Production Company (VPC) and Virtual Logistics Company (VLC) as part of the Engineering Project Group (EPG).

2005 - 2009

• The IT infrastructure regarding hardware and software is extended and a VR laboratory set up.

2005

• VETC projects receive awards:
• First place
  PDM-produktiv! Competition 2005
  in the category “Development of a concept for PDM implementation“
  Development of a procedure for the implementation of a PDM system at the company Walter Dittel GmbH as a semester project with a student team headed by Professor Dr-Ing. Harald Augustin.
• First place and University Award in support of research  
  PDM-produktiv! Competition2005
  in the category ”Universities”
  Project ViEECO business game – Virtual Engineering and Education Company ViEECO.

2004

• Start of ViPPER business games (Virtual Product and Production Engineering) for factory planning and ViSLER (Virtual Supply Chain and Logistics Engineering) for logistics planning in the ViEECO vAG (Virtual Engineering and Education Company, a virtual public limited company) at Reutlingen University.
• The IT platform is adapted completely to commercial software in order to create an industrially practice-related work environment and to facilitate the transfer to practice.

1993 – 2004

• Development of collaboration tools for computer-supported work (CSCW – Computer-Supported Cooperative Work) for virtual cooperation in factory planning projects.
• Development and implementation of virtual business games which are carried out with international partner universities in the USA, Brazil, Finland, Poland, Spain and France.

The development of virtual planning games has a long tradition at ESB Business School. The focus here is the continuous further development of business games in the context of industrial working practice in the global economy.

The development and further development of virtual planning games in the last 20 years:

Planning Projects Production 2021:

• Products: Laptops
• Content: Factory planning for procurement logistics networks, transportation, incoming goods warehouse, production logistics, assembly, quality management
• Location: modular scalable national / international
• Collaboration: modular scalable analog / virtual
• Software type: commercial software
• Software: MS-Teams, MS-Sharepoint, MS-Planner, MS-Notes, VisTable, Ipo.Log, RoutMan, IC.IDO
• Hardware: PCs, planning table VisTable-Touch, 3D-VR-Powerwall incl. tracking, Head Mounted Devices HMD

Planning Projects Logistics 2021:

• products: Laptops, PCs, servers, storage systems
• Content: Warehouse planning for supply chain and distribution network, location search and selection, incoming goods area, storage, picking, packaging and shipping, yard logistics, quality management
• Location: modular scalable national / international
• Collaboration: modular scalable analog / virtual
• Software type: commercial software
• Software: MS-Teams, MS-Sharepoint, MS-Planner, MS-Notes, Tarakos, IC.IDO
• Hardware: PCs, 3D-VR-Powerwall incl. tracking, Head Mounted Devices HMD

EPG VPC/VLC 2018:

• Products: water pumps
• Content: factory planning (production & assembly), logistics planning (supply chain & warehouse), QM
• Location: international
• Collaboration: virtual
• Software Type: commercial software
• Software: PDM, multi-point conferencing & application sha-ring, 3D VR planning software
• Hardware: video-conferencing, PCs, planning table VisTable-Touch, VR powerwall incl. tracking, Head Mounted Devises HMDs

EPG VPC/VLC 2016: 

• Products: clothes pegs
• Content: factory planning (production & assembly), logistics planning (supply chain & warehouse), QM
• Location: international
• Collaboration: virtual
• Software Type: commercial software
• Software: PDM, multi-point conferencing & application sha-ring, 3D VR planning software
• Hardware: video-conferencing, PCs, planning table VisTable-Touch, VR powerwall incl. tracking

EPG VPC/VLC 2014:

• Products: ballpoint pens
• Content: factory planning (production & assembly), logistics planning (supply chain & warehouse), QM
• Location: international
• Collaboration: virtual
• Software Type: commercial software
• Software: PDM, multi-point conferencing & application sha-ring, 3D VR planning software
• Hardware: video-conferencing, PCs, planning table VisTable-Touch, VR powerwall incl. tracking

ViEECO ViSLER 2011:

• Products: laptops
• Content: factory planning (assembly), logistics planning (supply chain & warehouse), QM
• Location: international
• Collaboration: virtual
• Software Type: commercial software
• Software: PDM, multi-point conferencing & application sha-ring, 3D VR planning software
• Hardware: video-conferencing, PCs, planning table VisTable-Touch, VR powerwall incl. tracking

ViEECO ViSLER 2004:

• Products: printers & plotters
• Content: factory planning (assembly), logistics planning (supply chain & warehouse), QM
• Location: international
• Collaboration: virtual
• Software Type: commercial software
• Software: PDM, multi-point conferencing & application sha-ring, collaborative 3D planning, software
• Hardware: video-conferencing, PCs, planning table VisTable-Touch

ViEECO ViPPER 2004:

• Products: pneumatic valve
• Content: product change management, factory planning, quality management 
• Location: international
• Collaboration: virtual
• Software Type: commercial software
• Software: CAD, 3D viewer collaboration, PDM, collaborative 3D planning, software
• Hardware: video-conferencing, PCs

VIKoP 1998:

• Products: truck axles
• Content: factory planning
• Location: international
• Collaboration: virtual
• Software Type: self developed 3D collaborative planning software
• Software: Learning mana-gement system, video-conferencing, 3D collaborative planning software
• Hardware: video-conferencing, PCs

MINT 1995:

• Products: truck axles
• Content: factory planning
• Location: international
• Collaboration: virtual
• Software Type: self developed collaboration tools
• Software: video-conferencing, application sharing, layout planning
• Hardware: video-conferencing, PCs

MinePlan 1994:

• Products: truck axles
• Content: factory planning
• Location: local
• Collaboration: same time & same place
• Software Type: ---
• Software: paper based
• Hardware: paper and pen