USING VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS IN THE DESIGN OF SHIPS

A major contributor to the expense and length of time to design, build , and test new systems has been the need to build and test hardware pr ototypes to determine their effectiveness in meeting operational requi rements. Recent and dramatic advances in computer simulation technolog ies hold forth the promise of revolutionizing design and acquisition s trategies by providing the means to validate end users' requirements p rior to hardware construction. By designing and operationally testing virtual prototypes in a virtual environment, these technologies will s oon offer naval architects the ability to build and launch ships in co mputer-based cyberspace in lieu of the shipbuilder's ways. The authors of this paper provide the background for these developments, explore the significance and ramifications of these technologies to the curren t process of ship and system design, outline challenges lying ahead, a nd present their vision and recommendations for future development.