What virtual reality can offer to the furnitu...

What virtual reality can offer to the furniture industry

分類：研所筆記2007/10/28 14:50

What virtual reality can offer to the furniture industry

作者：Hyunjoo Oh, So-Yeon Yoon, & Jana Hawley, University of Missouri at Columbia

出處：Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology and Management

ABSTRACT

The U.S. furniture, home furnishings, and textile industries are faced with threats from less
expensive imports and as a result must become more strategic with regard to consumer
preferences, effective marketing, and supply chain management. As a significant market for
textiles, the sustainability(永續性) of furniture and home furnishing industries is vital(重要的) to the U.S. textile industry. This paper focuses on the furniture industry. The sustainability of the furniture industry lies on product variety, mass customization, and speed to market based on understanding of consumer preferences. Authors suggest Virtual Reality as a viable(可行的) tool that may offer ultimate(根本的) solutions to many identified problems that the furniture industry faces. Finally, the authors propose the Virtual Reality Integrated System (VRIS) as an innovative way for the U.S. furniture industry to more effectively address this situation and ultimately gain a more competitive stance(競爭態勢) in the furniture marketplace and, as a result, have positive impact(建設性的影響) on the textile industry.

Keywords: furniture industry, textile industry, virtual reality, virtual prototyping, market research, e-commerce

美國家具、家飾與紡織工業正面臨低利潤的威脅，且勢必轉變策略更加關注於消費者參數、有效的行銷與供應鏈管理。如同有效的行銷對於紡織品，家具家飾產業的永續性，對於美國織品工業是非常重要的。本篇論文聚焦於家具工業。家具工業的永續性來自於產品的多樣化、客製化與快速回應市場消費者需求參數。作者建議虛擬實境是一個可行的工具，用於根本解決許多家具業所面臨的「確認性問題」。最後，作者提出虛擬實境整合系統(VRIS)做為美國家具產業回應此情勢的創新方法，最終以獲得家具產業裡的競爭態勢，以及對於織品工業的具建設性影響。

Introduction

The United States furniture and home furnishings industry, which is a $125 billion market, is currently faced with significant business failures (Richardson, 2000; Buehlmann & Schuler, 2001; Spalding, 2001). The U.S. household furniture industry is struggling(奮鬥) to survive as China becomes the dominant furniture exporter to the United States, accounting for one-third of U.S. furniture imports (Schuler & Buehlmann, 2003). Furthermore, the furniture industry has a large impact on the textile industry that supplies upholstery fabrics. As a significant market for textiles, the sustainability of furniture and home furnishing industries is vital to the U.S. textile industry. Since the U.S. furniture industry cannot compete with Chinese imports on cost alone, the industry must become more adept at responding to consumers’ tastes and personal needs through the integration of effective marketing and supply chain management.

美國家具與家飾產業的規模有1250億美元，目前正面臨顯著衰退的問題(Richardson, 2000; Buehlmann & Schuler, 2001; Spalding, 2001)。當中國變成主要家具輸出國，並供應美國1/3家具市場，美國家具產業必須奮鬥以求生(Schuler & Buehlmann, 2003)。此外，家具工業也面臨織品工業開始供應室內裝潢織品(墊襯物)的重大衝擊。做為一個有效的行銷，家具家飾工業的永續性對於美國織品工業來說是重要議題。因為美國家具工業無法單獨對抗中國家具低價輸入的威脅，家具工業必須變得更善於回應消費者的味覺與個人化需求，這必須透過有效行銷與供應鏈管理的整合來達成。

To date, the U.S. furniture industry has been unable to deploy(展開) effective marketing strategies that grasp those significant market opportunities, primarily(主要) because the industry does not understand consumers’ furniture buying behaviors. Except for a few manufacturers who have branded retail outlets such as Ethan Allen, La-Z-Boy, Thomasville, and Bassett, most do not have direct channels to consumers. As a result, the industry has difficulty in researching target markets to understand what furniture consumers like and dislike and why.

迄今為止，美國家具工業已經錯過直效行銷時機，主要因為無法了解消費者家具購買行為，因而無法展開有效(直效)行銷策略。除了一些有品牌零售通路的製造商之外，如Ethan Allen, La-Z-Boy, Thomasville, 與 Bassett，大多數家具業者沒有直接通路連結消費者。因此，對於研究目標市場以了解消費者喜好與原因變得很困難。

In this paper we propose innovative ways to reinvent the furniture industry by suggesting solutions that Virtual Reality (VR) can offer to the U.S. furniture industry. VR is a computer simulation that uses 3-D graphics and devices to provide an interactive visual experience. Web-based virtual reality can offer indirect but realistic visual experiences for evaluating furniture to see whether it matches other furniture items and decoration. It can simulate a realistic shopping environment and is equipped with special features that allow consumers to examine products closely and evaluate the overview.

這篇論文中，我們提出創新方法以振興家具工業，藉著虛擬實境技術，可以提供美國家具產業解決方案。虛擬實境是一個由電腦模擬產生的互動視覺經驗。透過網路提供間接但逼真的視覺體驗，對於評估家具，看看是否適合於其他家具或裝潢，是很有用的。它可以模擬一個逼真的購買環境，且允許消費者近距離查看產品以及做整體評估。

Due to advanced computer technology, 3-D desktop VR has become an affordable system and is readily accessible to Internet users. The furniture industry could benefit from these VR features to understand market needs and wants. To explore possible solutions for the furniture industry, we reviewed characteristics of furniture buying decisions, VR technologies, current applications of VR in various industries, and the benefits of VR to the furniture industry. In conclusion, we suggest a research and development framework using VR technologies for furniture and home furnishing industries.

由於電腦技術的進步，3D桌上型VR系統已經是一般人負擔得起的，且容易與網際網路連結。家具工業可以受惠於VR特點，以了解市場需求。為了探索可能的解決方法，我們回顧了家具購買決策、VR技術、現行VR應用情勢，以及VR對於家具工業的益處。最後，我們建議一個研究發展的架構，以使用VR技術協助家具家飾工業。

Furniture Buying Behaviors

The decision making process in furniture buying is complex, involving the consideration of constraints such as budget, available space, time investment, disposal of currently usable items, match to existing furniture, and lifestyle (Applied Research & Consulting LLC, 1999). In addition, because of the significant expense and long product lifecycle of furniture, consumers have to make difficult trade-off(權衡) decisions about important factors such as price, style, quality, and functionality. Furthermore, after the choice is made, consumers often feel unsure about whether they made the right choice. Consumers frequently ask questions: Will it fit in the room? Will it work with the rest of the furniture and decor of my home? This uncertainty, which results from consumers’ inability to try out furniture combinations in a real setting, keeps consumers out of the furniture marketplace or makes them delay purchase decisions.

家具購買的決策過程是複雜的，牽涉的考慮限制有：預算、可利用空間、可用時間、目前可用單元的處理、與現存家具匹配、與生活型態(Applied Research & Consulting LLC, 1999)。另外，因為顯著的開支與較長的產品生命週期，所以消費者必須做困難的權衡決策，包含：價格、風格、品質、與功能。此外，做出選擇之後，消費者通常對於自己做的選擇感到不確定感。消費者頻繁提問的問題有：它適合這個房間嗎？它對於房間內其他傢俱與裝潢行得通嗎？這種不確定性來自於消費者無法試驗完全的家具組合，亦使消費者離開家具賣場，或使他們延遲作購買決定。

Furniture retailers also face challenges in meeting consumers’ demands. Because consumers are looking for furniture that represents who they are, furniture retailers have to carry a wide selection to meet customer expectations. However, traditional brick-and-mortar furniture retailers are limited by the bulky nature of the product, space limitations, and diverse consumer tastes, ending up with a significant amount of inventories (Tewary, 2003; Spalding, 2001). As a result, many U.S. furniture retailers such as Heilig-Meyers downsized or went out of business (Richardson, 2000; Schuler & Buehlmann, 2003). Furniture manufacturers have the same problem. Every year furniture manufacturers present slightly different styles at furniture markets while keeping the old product lines (Schuler & Buehlmann, 2003). Because they do not know which styles consumers will accept, furniture manufacturers end up with an enormous number of different products resulting in the costs of holding huge inventories. To make matters worse, customer dissatisfaction with the long delivery process is a discouraging factor for the furniture industry.

家具零售商在面對消費者要求時同樣遇到挑戰。因為消費者在尋找那些能表徵自己的家具，家具零售商必須提供廣範的選擇以符合消費者期待。然而，傳統實體店鋪受限於產品體積、空間限制、多元消費者品味、以及庫存金額(Tewary, 2003; Spalding, 2001)。許多美國家具零售商，如：Heilig-Meyers ，以較小尺寸設計或製造，或以過時的款式來做生意(Richardson, 2000; Schuler & Buehlmann, 2003)。家具製造者有同樣的問題。家具製造業者每年發表少量變化的新款式，乃是為了繼續延續舊的產品線(Schuler & Buehlmann, 2003)。因為他們不知道什麼樣的風格是消費者所能接受的，而且大量新設計將造成成本暴增。更糟的是，消費者不滿於冗長的運送過程，這些都對家具工業雪上加霜。

The Internet has become a powerful tool for information gathering and communication affecting a fast growing population of online shoppers and markets. While the online market promotes significant sales for many types of products such as clothes, books, and CDs (Cole, Suman, Schramm, Lunn, & Aquino, 2003), the growth of furniture e-commerce sites has been very slow. In addition to the complicated decision making process described earlier, furniture sites must overcome the lack of realistic triability for comfort testing and tactile experience and the inconvenience and high costs of delivery and return processes. Although Internet-based furniture retailing is not a significant retail channel, the Internet can play an important role by providing satisfactory information about products (Schuler & Buehlmann, 2003). For the furniture industry, it can stimulate purchasing intention whether the actual sales are made online or at brick-and-mortar stores. On the other hand, understanding customers’ preferences and decision-making behavior can contribute to better product development, marketing, and distribution management for the industry.

網際網路已成為一個資訊匯集與溝通的有力工具，網路商店與市場也越來越多。當網路市場促銷越來越多種類商品，如衣服、書籍、CD唱片(Cole, Suman, Schramm, Lunn, & Aquino, 2003)，家具業電子商務網站的成長卻很緩慢。除了早先對於複雜的決策過程的描述之外，家具網站必須克服：缺少逼真舒適的試驗、缺少可觸覺的體驗、不方便昂貴的運送(來回)過程。雖然網路家具零售網站不是一個真正有效的零售通路，但網路可以扮演一重要角色，提供相當完整的產品資訊(Schuler & Buehlmann, 2003)。對於家具業來說，它可以刺激構買意願，無論是在網路或實體店鋪完成交易。另一方面來說，了解消費者偏好與決策行為，可以幫助家具業更好的產品開發、行銷、與配送管理。

The use of web-based VR technology can be an effective way to get consumer feedback on items in the market. It can also be used to enhance product design and development before manufacturing. Web-based VR can offer consumers realistic product trials without the temporal and physical constraints of brick-and-mortar furniture stores (Sanna, 2001). VR technologies offer dynamic interaction with objects by allowing users to zoom in, zoom out, move, rotate, change object attributes, etc. The biggest problem in furniture purchases is the inability of consumers to see the product in their home setting. Shopping at brick-and-mortar stores does not solve this problem because consumers still cannot match choice alternatives with their currently owned items and home decor. However, realistic triability, including close inspection(檢視) of individual furniture and combinations of items, can be obtained when the furniture and the environments are all generated in three-dimensional real-time interactive computer graphics. Thus, VR is a viable tool that may offer ultimate solutions to many identified problems that the furniture industry is now facing.

網路虛擬實境技術的使用是一個擷取消費者對於某item回饋的好方法。它亦可提升產品製造之前的設計與開發過程。網路虛擬實境可提供消費者逼真的產品試驗，沒有實體店鋪裡之時間和物理限制(Sanna, 2001)。 虛擬實境技術提供與3D物件動態的互動，允許使用者放大、縮小、移動、旋轉、改變物件屬性..等等。家具購買上的最大問題，在於消費者無法看到該家具在他們家裡安置的情形。實體店鋪無法解決這類問題，因為消費者仍然無法將預選購家具與家中裝潢做搭配比較。然而，逼真的試驗，包含個別單元與組合單元之近距離的檢視，可以用電腦三維圖像來產生家具與環境，並即時互動來獲得這種效果。因此，虛擬實境可提供家具工業正面臨的許多「確認性問題」的最終解答。

Towards Affordable Virtual Reality (VR)

The term Virtual Reality (VR) is used by different people to mean many different things. VR is commonly understood as a computer simulation that uses 3D graphics and devices to provide an interactive experience. To some people, the definition of VR is limited to “immersive VR system” where it uses special input/output devices such as Head Mounted Displays (HMD), Data Gloves, 3D Audio, or multiple large projective displays (e.g. CAVE) to enhance users’ realistic experience. To others, VR refers to real-time interactive 3D graphics technology in general so that it has different types of system environments including immersive VR or non-immersive VR. 3D graphic technology has advanced in both hardware and software, so that nonimmersive VR is available on affordable system environments including home PCs. Figure 1 and 2 shows specialized hardware for immersive VR systems. Projection based immersive VR systems use large wall-mounted displays (Figure 2).

VR被不同人賦予不同的意義。VR通常被理解為一個以電腦模擬，使用3D圖形與某些裝置，以提供一互動體驗。對某些人來說，VR的定義受限於「沉浸式VR系統」，它使用特別的輸入/輸出設備，例如頭帶式顯示器HMD、數據手套、3D音效、或複合式大尺寸投影顯示器(如CAVE)，以提升使用者的擬真體驗。對另一些人來說，VR提供一般即時互動的3D圖形技術。因此，可分為沉浸式系統與非沉浸式系統。3D圖形技術已經進展到軟體與硬體，所以一般家用PC也可以用來當作非沉浸式VR系統。

 

   
Figure 1. Head Mounted Displays (HMD) and Data Glove.

 

Figure 2. Projection based immersive VR system : CAVE :Cave Automatic Virtual Environment(left), Curved Wall (middle), 3D Stereo glasses(right)

VR systems have attracted significant attention because they can create realistic experiences. The characteristic of VR experience has identified as “presence,” the subjective feeling of being more involved with the virtual world (Biocca, Li, & Daugherty, 2001; Freeman, Avons, Pearson, & IJsselsteijn, 1999; Li, Biocca, & Daugherty, 2001). Although high-end immersive VR systems are designed to give the users a sense of presence in a virtual environment (Ijsselsteijn, de Ridder, Freeman, & Avons, 2000), users can also experience some of the sensation of presence with Desktop VR to a certain degree. Besides its affordability, other advantages of non-immersive desktop VR include: rapid development of the software, efficient information sharing, collaboration through the Internet, and ease of use. The same software techniques are used for both immersive and non-immersive systems.  VR系統已造成顯著的吸引注意，因為它們創造擬真的經驗。VR經驗的特點在於「臨場感」，一種更沉浸於虛擬世界的主觀感受(Biocca, Li, & Daugherty, 2001; Freeman, Avons, Pearson, & IJsselsteijn, 1999; Li, Biocca, & Daugherty, 2001)。雖然高價位的沉浸式VR系統可提供使用者逼真的虛擬環境臨場感(Ijsselsteijn, de Ridder, Freeman, & Avons, 2000)，使用者也可以透過桌上型VR系統體驗某些層面的臨場感。除了桌上型VR系統的價位較低之外，非沉浸式桌上型VR系統的其他優點有：軟體的快速開發、高效的資訊共享、網路協同、容易使用。沉浸式與非沉浸式系統所使用的軟體均相同。 Regardless of display type, as a result of a VR system, a real or imagined environment can be experienced visually in the three dimensions of width, height, and depth with interactivity in real-time. VR applications have been used in a variety of areas: education, architecture, industrial design, engineering, military training, medicine, virtual science laboratories, etc. Some use the term “Virtual Environment (VE)” to emphasize the experience rather than enabling technology or to avoid an oxymoron in the term Virtual Reality. While VR and VE are often used interchangeably, Web 3D particularly refers to VR on the Internet via non-immersive Desktop VR systems. As VR has become available on the web since the debut of VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) in 1994, VR technologies have been adopted quickly in e-commerce (Figure 3). In this paper, we focus on Web 3D, a type of non-immersive VR that enables online users to experience computer-generated product simulations or environments with near real time control of the viewpoint and product attributes. These VR features offer users the opportunity to explore virtual objects at levels of detail that are appropriate to evaluation activity (Hurwicz, 2000). VR allows Internet users to obtain a virtual shopping experience similar to a real shopping experience. We refer to this experience as “Virtual Experience.” This paper focuses more on the experience of VR than the technology.  無論哪個顯示種類，做為一個VR系統，一個真正的或想像的環境可以被以視覺、即時互動的方式，來體驗三維空間的長度、寬度與深度。VR應用在許多領域，如：教育、建築、工業設計、工程、軍事訓練、醫藥、虛擬科學實驗室...等。有些人用VE(虛擬環境)來強調"體驗"，而不是強調技術，或避開Virtual Reality修辭上的矛盾。當VR與VE時常被交替使用時，web 3D特別論及透過非沉浸式桌上型VR系統的網路VR。自從1994年VRML問世以來，VR已經可實行於網路上，VR技術已經被廣泛採用於電子商務(如圖三)。本論文中，我們聚焦於網路3D，非沉浸式VR，它可以讓網路使用者，以近乎即時操控的視角與產品屬性，來體驗電腦產生的產品情境模擬。這些VR特點提供使用者有機會，以較細微的角度來檢視虛擬物件，也適合於使用者對產品進行評價(Hurwicz, 2000)。VR讓網路使用者體驗虛擬購物。我們談論這些「虛擬體驗」。本論文主要聚焦於VR的體驗，而不是VR的技術。  Figure 3. Non-immersive VR for Product Demo and Customization  Related Application Areas of VR 1) Virtual Prototyping for product development VR technology allows users to assess conceptual designs, analyze products before they are manufactured, check functionality and aesthetics, and modify designs without physical prototypes. Virtual prototyping uses VR techniques for design evaluation and presentation based on digital models instead of physical models (Dai et al., 1993). Physical prototypes are normally very time consuming and expensive to produce. Furthermore, only a limited number of participants who are physically present can assess the physical prototypes. The automobile industry has used the virtual prototype to cope with (對抗,處理) the limitations of physical prototypes (Figure 4). With virtual prototyping, the automobile industry has developed better designs, tested functional aspects, and detected design flaws during the product development process thus reducing costs and time to market new models. VR技術可以讓使用者評價概念設計，在產品製造前分析產品，檢查功能與美感，且可修改設計而不需製作真實的原型。虛擬原型使用VR技術之數位模型而非實體模型，來做設計評價與展示(Dai et al., 1993)。一般來說，物理原型的製作時間長且製作費用高。此外，只有少數參與者可以實際參與評價實體原型。汽車工業已經使用虛擬原型，以處理實體原型的限制(Figure 4)。因為虛擬原型，在整個產品開發過程中，汽車工業已經發展更好的設計、提前測試機能、以及察覺設計瑕疵，因此減少許多開發成本以及縮短上市時程。  Figure 4. Virtual Prototyping of Automotive Interior. University of Michigan, Virtual Reality Lab  VR also has been used as an advanced presentation technique in the fields of architecture and interior design. Recent attempts have used it in early design stages such as collaboratively reviewing design ideas (Kremer, 1998; Daily et al., 2000; Zorriassatine, Wykes, Parkin, & Gindy, 2003). For assembly tasks, VR is known to be superior to other forms of representation (Boud, Baber, & Steiner, 2000). In the housing sector, networked VR-supported design tools have been used for collaboration between clients and demonstrators (Figure
5). Matsushita (Panasonic) developed the Kitchen Planning Support System (KiPS) to enable customers to design a kitchen by assembling components. This VR system has been extended to an application of a networked VR-supported kitchen design system (Fukuda, Nagahama, & Nomura, 1997).  VR也應用於建築與室內設計。有些嘗試在於協同設計階段的再檢查(Kremer, 1998; Daily et al., 2000; Zorriassatine, Wykes, Parkin, & Gindy, 2003)。開會時，VR也是較佳的展示形式(Boud, Baber, & Steiner, 2000)。在房屋建築，網路VR設計工具已經被使用於協同設計(Figure 5)。由Matsushita(Panasonic) 發展的廚房規劃支援系統(KiPS)，允許顧客透過元件的組合來設計廚房。這個VR系統已經延伸出具網路VR支援的廚房設計系統(Fukuda, Nagahama, & Nomura, 1997)。  Figure 5. Matsushita’s VR-supported design tool  2) Online Customization and Review tool VR brings product information to online shoppers and salespeople at retail stores quickly and easily. Online customization, which started from the online PC market, is found to be a major component of success in financial performance and productivity (Barua, Konana, Whinston, & Fang, 2001). The term ‘ mass customization ’ means mass production on the one hand vs. products tailor-made for individual tastes on the other (Mello, 2001). In the PC industry, the best-known mass customization success is Dell computer, Inc. A study (Barua et al., 2001) found that Dell became the world’s leading direct computer supplier by taking advantage of the power of customization of products and services through the Internet (Figure 6). In the motovehicle(動力機具) industy, a few companies are letting customers specify features they want while reducing the delivery times for custom products (Figure 7).  Forrester Research predicts that built-to-order sales will account for 21 percent of all new car sales by 2010 (Mello, 2001). VR技術將產品資訊快速且簡單的帶給網路使用者與零售店業務員。線上客製化，起始於線上PC商場，被發現在財務表現與生產力上，是一個主要成功要素(Barua, Konana, Whinston, & Fang, 2001)。"大量客製化"意指大量產品針對某人VS.產品定制針對個人品味(Mello, 2001)。在PC產業裡，最有名的大量客製化成功者為戴爾電腦(Dell)。一個研究(Barua et al., 2001)發現，戴爾在電腦供應變成世界領導，乃藉由網路實行產品客製化與服務客製化(Figure 6)。在動力機具工業裡，一些公司讓顧客指定某些他們想要的特點(Figure 7)。  Figure 6. Dell's mass customization system : Specification customization (left), VR product viewer (middle), Cover color samples(right)  Figure 7. Toyota Yaris T-Sport Virtual Showroom, Suzuki Configurator for retail stores  Figure 8. My Virtual Model by Lands' End  Mass customization offers service and achieves a greater level of customer satisfaction. Customers take advantage of self-guided selection and configuration tools to choose products and options. VR technology surrounding mass cutomization increased dramatically with the advent of the Internet. Customizing gives consumers the ability to see how their products will appear (Figure 7). Customization using VR eliminates the guesswork for consumers even if a million options are available on the item. 大量客製化的服務實現了高水平的顧客滿意。顧客利用自主選擇與規劃工具的優點來選擇產品。伴隨著網路的出現，VR技術也誘發出大量客製化的需求演變。訂製讓消費者可以先看到他們的產品將如何呈現(Figure 7)。使用VR客製化消除了消費者猜測，即使選項有百萬之多。 VR offers useful features which make customization more efficient:??
。Real-time 3D interactive views allow users to rotate, tilt and magnify product images to closely examine them from all angles??
。Communication among viewers in different locations is possible??
。Digital data storage capacity allows an unlimited number of products??
。Perception of size, layout, and match with multiple items is easily obtained??
。Compatible data format with other VR display systems allows conversion of the information to kiosk type for retail stores or wall-mounted display for group presentations, etc. VR使客製化更有效率：。即時3D互動讓使用者可以旋轉、傾斜、縮放，從各角度靠近檢查
。不同地點的使用者可以進行溝通
。透過數位資料儲存，可儲存無限量的商品(實體店舖空間有限)??
。可輕易協助消費者感知尺寸、佈局以及與其它單元搭配的情況??
。與其他VR展示系統相容的資料格式，例如：亭式零售型式或架設於牆上的顯示型式。
3) E-commerce Consumers traditionally search for product information in advertising and experience or try products in a physical store. The strongest appeal of e-commerce to consumers is convenience and effectiveness of information searching. Looking for product information on the Internet is the most important predictor of online buying behavior (Bellman, Lohse, & Johnson, 1999). Online shoppers who find enough product information to support their purchase decision-making are more likely to buy the product. The downside of buying online is that consumers cannot try out the product. It is not easy to market products for which consumption involves emotions and touch as indicated by the high return rates in sensory product retailers (Rosa & Malter, 2001). The greatest value of VR in e-commerce is that it allows people to visually assess product performance and aesthetics prior to purchase. Experience via VR reduces perceived risk prior to purchase (Klein, 1998). Lands’ End offered on-line shoppers ‘My Virtual Model’ that imitates a dressing room at stores (Figure 8). The virtual experience of trying-on-clothing increased sales conversion rates (Haeberle, 2002). 傳統上，消費者在廣告中搜尋產品資訊、在實體店鋪中體驗與試用產品。電子商務對於消費者的一個強有力的訴求乃是：方便與有效的資訊蒐集。網路上尋找產品資訊的行為是最重要的線上購買行為的預示(Bellman, Lohse, & Johnson, 1999)。找到夠多產品資訊來支持他們購買決策的線上採購者，是很可能買產品的人。線上購買的缺點是消費者無法試用產品。對於一些需要牽涉感覺與觸摸的產品，網路反而難以銷售。在電子商務中，VR的最大價值在於可以讓人們用視覺詳細評價產品與外觀，以決定是否購買。在購買之前，透過VR體驗，可降低知覺風險(Klein, 1998)。Lands’ End 提供線上使用者" My Virtual Model "，它模擬店內試衣間(Figure 8)。試衣的虛擬體驗提高了銷售率(Haeberle, 2002)。  Figure 9. Photo Realistic Visualization and Customization options : Technicon (left) and Office Depot Chiar Configurator(right)  The benefits of VR are significant for products that are highly customizable. The benefits are even greater for products that are especially bulky. It is impossible for retail stores to carry a wide selection of bulky products that meet an individual consumer’s different tastes. Furniture is the product category that fits both of these criteria. Information gathering is difficult because each store carries different products. Because products are not standardized, information collected from magazines and TV commercials is often not useful. Consumers often cannot find an item at local stores that they saw in a magazine. The ideal solution to this problem is VR, which provides both information and product experience. VR facilitates learning about products by exploring virtual models at levels of detail while providing consumers realistic views of each product’s options including finishes, fabrics and colors. It also allows online shoppers to obtain a virtual shopping experience, which is similar to a real shopping experience. An office furniture retailer, Office Depot, effectively used VR and increased their sales (Figure 9). However, residential furniture manufacturers and retailers are far behind the office furniture industry. Although VR has become a mature technology in areas where it was adopted early, its use is limited in the home furniture industry. 對於商品來說，VR的顯著優點在於高度的可客製化。體積龐大的商品更是適合採用它。ㄧ般零售店不可能提供多款體積巨大產品選擇來滿足消費者的個別品味。家具則具備以上特質：體積龐大。完整資訊的彙整對於ㄧ般零售店來說是困難的，因為他們只有部分產品。其他資訊來自於雜誌、TV通常都是不完全的、零散的。而且雜誌上看到的產品也很難在當地店內買到。理想的解決方法就是VR，它提供資訊與體驗。VR使更容易學習關於產品的使用，藉由虛擬模型可在細微的尺度上探索產品，也提供消費者關於每個產品的逼真視覺選擇，包含：漆、布料、顏色。VR也允許線上買家體驗虛擬購買經驗，該經驗仿似真實購買經驗。辦公家具零售業業已經有效的使用VR來增加他們的銷售(Figure 9)。然而，住宅家具製造零售業卻落後辦公家具業許多。雖然VR已經變成ㄧ個成熟的技術，但應用在住宅家具工業中卻仍有限。 Consumers do not buy furniture for their home through online shopping because testing of physical comfort and tactile elements are critical for their buying decisions. Many furniture e-commerce sites such as furniture.com, beHome.com, Goodhome.com, Living.com, and furniturefind.com were not successful as evidenced by their financial losses (Fowler, 2002). Although Ethan Allan, one of most successful furniture marketers, is currently operating an e-commerce site, its performance does not justify the implementation costs because of channel conflicts between e-commerce operations and retail stores and significant shipping costs. Instead of direct selling to consumers, company websites should work to provide information to consumers. More importantly, integration of operations between e-commerce and bricks-and-mortar stores should be allowed to provide convenience and reduce costs. Without implementing strategies for reducing costs embedded in complex furniture supply chains, e-commerce for furniture cannot be successful even with the benefits of realistic experience offered by virtual reality technologies. 消費者不願透過網路購買家具的原因在於物理舒適度以及觸覺的測試對他們來說是很重要的。許多電子商務家具網站如： furniture.com, beHome.com,Goodhome.com,Living.com,furniturefind.com，在銷售上並沒有獲得成功(Fowler, 2002)。雖然Ethan Allan(ㄧ個非常成功的家具行銷人)目前也經營者電子商務網站，但那並不代表它是賺錢的，因為電子商務與實體店舖的通路衝突性，以及過高的運輸費用。為了取代直接銷售給消費者，企業網站應該提供資訊給消費者。更重要的是，電子商務與實體店鋪之間的整合應該提供消費者更方便且更低的花費。若沒有把降低成本(售價)的策略整合到整個家具供應鏈與電子商務中，則縱使有虛擬實境技術所提供之擬真體驗的優勢，也將無法成功。  Suggested VR Applications for the Furniture Industry Interactive 3D visualization as a medium for conveying product information and exploration for virtual experience provides significant values to furniture shoppers. Although furniture shoppers cannot evaluate tactile experience and physical comfort, VR offers visual evaluation that physical retail stores cannot offer because of limited space and inventory. The current state of desktop VR generates only visual experiences. However, visual sense plays the most important role in perceptions because style or look is the most important feature in furniture evaluation. Although price is always an important feature considered for furniture purchase, the best-priced furniture item will not be considered if it is not the look that the consumer wants. Companies such as Ethan Allen, Pottery Barn, and Pier 1 Imports are successful, not because they present a sofa, but because they create look. The success is brought from turning a furniture brand into a lifestyle brand (Tischler, 2003). 就商品資訊傳播的中介以及虛擬體驗探索而言，互動3D視覺化提供了家具消費者顯著的價值。雖然家具消費者無法評價觸覺體驗以及物理舒適度，但VR提供完整產品線之視覺上的評價，因為實體店鋪的空間與庫存並不允許如此。桌上型VR目前只提供視覺體驗。然而，視覺感受在知覺上扮演最重要的角色，因為風格或外觀是家具評價裡最重要的特徵。雖然價格總是一個購買家具時的重要考慮因素，但若該家具的外觀並非消費者所喜愛，則在便宜的家具也沒有消費者會買。像Ethan Allen, Pottery Barn, and Pier 1 Imports這些企業是成功的，不只是因為他們展示一個沙發，而是因為他們創造一種新風貌。成功來自於將單純的家具品牌轉變為ㄧ種生活型態(Tischler, 2003)。  Figure 10. Possible VR applications and their linkages in the furniture industry  Most people have difficulty envisioning how furniture will look in a room. VR allows the consumer to experience the product as if it were in place and to experiment with different fabric, color, and other attributes. Virtual experience brings the sense of presence and confidence to viewers in accepting the product information presented (Biocca et al., 2001; Freeman et al., 1999; Li et al., 2001; Li, Daugherty, & Biocca, 2002). The presence feelings are important for furniture shopping where consumers look for sensory experience and emotional aspects. Consumers express their best and favorite sense of themselves through furniture and home furnishing items and rely on their feelings to make buying decisions. Thus, VR is the best medium that creates emotional experiences through virtual experiences. Holbrook and Hirschman (1982) propose that product use such as furniture consumption should incorporate enjoyment and fun into what they call an “experiential view” of consumption. Virtual experience engages people in effective product learning and enjoyment experience. It has been found that people spend 50% more time in a web site that offers interactive 3D images. The number of pages viewed also increases significantly after VR product demos are introduced (Hurwicz, 2000). 大部分的人很難想像家具在房間裡的樣子。VR讓消費者可以模擬體驗家具在房間中的樣子，並且可以更換布料、顏色、與其他屬性。虛擬體驗帶來臨場感與信心，進而讓觀者接受產品(Biocca et al., 2001; Freeman et al., 1999; Li et al., 2001; Li, Daugherty, & Biocca, 2002)。臨場感對於家具消費來說是重要的，消費者藉此建立知覺體驗與情感接受。消費者透過家具與傢飾表達他們自己最喜歡的感覺，且信任他們的感覺，以做購買決策。因此，透過虛擬體驗，VR是創造情感上的體驗之最好的媒體。 Holbrook and Hirschman (1982)建議這些家具消費應該包含趣味與樂趣，他們稱為消費的“experiential view”。虛擬體驗讓人們有效學習產品以及享受體驗。研究發現，人們多花50%時間在有提供3D互動影像的網站上。在VR產品展示被引進之後，頁面的點閱數也顯著增加(Hurwicz, 2000)。  Based on the premises that 3D VR facilitates visual evaluations and creates virtual experiences by simulating realistic consumption experiences, we propose VR applications that can improve the performance of the furniture industry. Figure 10 presents linkages of VR applications: Virtual prototyping, online customization, E-commerce, retail stores, and market analysis tools. We believe virtual prototyping for product development and market research are feasible applications to the current furniture industry. Without innovative manufacturing, supply chain, and distribution, however, customization for integrating furniture retail stores and E-commerce operations is impossible to apply to the industry. The U.S. furniture industry is behind other industries such as automobile and computer industries in applying innovative business concepts and technologies. It has a long way to innovate its operations in manufacturing, supply chain management, and distribution. Thus, we focus our discussions on feasible VR applications: prototyping for product development and market research. 基於住宅或辦公室，3DVR使視覺評價變容易，且創造擬真的虛擬消費經驗，我們提出的VR應用可以改善家具工業的現況。Figure 10 呈現VR應用的連結：虛擬原型、線上客製化、電子商務、實體店鋪、市場分析工具。我們相信在現今家具工業裡，虛擬原型對於產品開發與市場研究是可行的應用。不用創新的製造方法、供應鏈、與配銷，然而對家具業來說，客製化對於整合家具零售店與電子商務經營，是可能的。美國家具工業在應用創新商業概念與技術上，落後其他如汽車與電腦工業。在製造、供應鏈管理、與配銷管理上，創新它的運作，是一條漫長道路。因此，我們將討論聚焦於可行的VR應用：VR原型關於產品開發與市場研究。   1) Virtual Prototyping for Product Development The recent growth of fast network accessibility and Web 3D technologies, such as VRML, Java 3D, etc., have motivated affordable VR based tools for various needs in many areas. In addition, industries using CAD/CAE/CAM (Computer Aided Design/ Engineering/ Manufacturing) can easily take advantage of the potential in effective communication via real-time interactive 3D visualization. Product data produced from CAD systems, which are in digital format, provide a good basis for VR tool development. 近來高速網路與 web 3D 技術的成長，如：VRML、Java 3D等，使得VR套件在許多領域的應用上已經變得便宜許多。另外，工業上使用的 CAD/CAE/CAM (電腦輔助設計/工程/製造)，透過即時視覺化互動3D，可以輕易獲得有效溝通的潛在優勢。從CAD系統產生產品資料，乃數位格式，提供VR工具發展一個良好的使用基礎。   Figure 11. VR prototyping tool design process (圖11)，VR原型工具設計過程。1.從CAD模型中抽取出幾何資料(若無CAD模型，則從實際產品資料創造模型)  ↓2.簡化幾何資料：最佳化幾何資料細節  ↓3.編輯：顏色、材質屬性、光線、明暗陰影  ↓4.額外的幾何元素：周圍環境元素  ↓5.操作功能與行為之編寫   Virtual prototyping can change the furniture product development process in a way that saves costs, reduces time to market, and increases responsiveness to taste changes. Virtual prototyping relies on virtual reality tools for analysis of designs. Figure 11 shows the general steps for developing VR prototyping tools applicable to furniture product development. First, 3D furniture models are created using 3D modeling software such as 3D Studio Max, FormZ, Maya, etc. When CAD models are available, the data can be used with modification. In order to support real-time simulation, the file size of the 3D geometry models should be as small as possible. Therefore, the level of geometric detail should be optimized by complexity reduction in either 3D modeling software or VR authoring software. Third, surface attributes (e.g. texture, color, lighting, shadows) are assigned to the 3D models and a room for the furniture models is designed to provide a realistic background. 3D models programmed with object behaviors enable viewers to interact with the 3D virtual prototypes from database. Figure 12 presents a virtual prototype for residential furniture developed by the research team at [the Midwestern University] 虛擬原型製作可以ㄧ種較省錢的方法，改變家具產品開發過程，縮短上市時程，增加風格改變之回應(有效回應風格替換)。虛擬原型製造依賴虛擬實境工具對於設計的分析。Figure 11 顯示開發VR原型製作工具在家具產品開發的一般步驟。首先，3D家具模型被3D模型軟體創建出(3D Studio Max, FormZ, Maya等)。當CAD模型資料可被使用於製造。為了支援即時模擬，3D幾何模型的檔案必須儘可能的小。因此，幾何細節應該被最佳化(3D軟體或VR軟體)。第三，表面屬性(貼圖、顏色、光線、明暗)被指定到3D模型以及一些場景背景。資料庫中的3D模型被編寫互動行為，讓使用者可以與它互動。圖12顯示一虛擬原型，關於住宅家具開發，研究團隊為the Midwestern University。   Figure 12. Virtual Prototype : Overview (left) and close-up view (right)  Currently, a few commercial products have been developed for furniture and interior layout configurations (Figure 13). Although they are considered as virtual prototyping tools in a sense, their main feature is in layout configuration, which does not require high quality graphics. When creating virtual prototypes for home furniture, quality graphics must allow close examination of the items as well as an overview of the room. Overview or zoom-out features give a sense of scale in addition to harmony with other items in the same room. 現在，有些商業產品(軟體)已經可以為家具或室內規劃做設計 (Figure 13)。雖然它們在場景裡有顯示虛擬原型，但它們主要特點在於佈局(layout)規劃，並不需要高品質圖像。當創造家具虛擬原型時，圖像(模型)品質的要求以能允許使用者近距離體驗為標準，就像房間的鳥瞰。鳥瞰或zoom-out提供一種尺寸感知，連同其他家飾再同一個房間裡。   Figure 13. System furniture and interior layout configurators: Technicon Virtual Showroom (left), Office Depot office Designer (middle), Outline 3D(right)    Figure 14. Consumer Decision Processes for Furniture and Home Furnishings  2) Market Research Although VR has been implemented within customization for effective visualization of products, there have been only a few attempts to use VR technology for market research or decision-making research. VR has great potential as a market research tool for understanding consumer preferences and behaviors. With advanced technology, market research tools can be integrated with online customization. Data, automatically gathered by tracking users’ behavior, can contribute to a better understanding of consumers’ needs and wants. Market trends can be analyzed from the obtained data. With customization options integrated with market research, manufacturers can understand consumers’ preferences and supply products in response to predicted demands. 雖然VR在產品視覺化客製化範圍內已經被發展完成，但仍有一些企圖使用VR技術用來做市場研究或決策研究。VR有很大的潛力成為市場研究工具，來了解消費者偏好與行為。隨著科技進步，市場研究工具與線上客製化可以被整合在一起。資料(藉由追蹤使用者行為來自動擷取的資料)可以促進更好的消費者需求了解。市場趨勢可以從資料的獲得中被分析。雖著客製化選擇與市場研究做整合，製造者可以更了解消費者偏好，以及提供可回應需求預測的產品。  Understanding consumers’ preferences on the appearance of products is crucial when manufacturers introduce new products to market. Because consumers are confronted with a large number of functionally identical products, aesthetic quality through visual inspection and comparison becomes a critical factor in the purchasing decision (Maxfield, Dew, Zhao, Juster, & Fitchie, 2002). The use of realistic virtual prototypes can accurately assess consumers’ acceptance of the products. Manufacturers can identify those elements that enhance the chances for consumers’ acceptance (Tseng, Jiao, & Jun, 1998). 當製造者引入新產品到市場時，了解消費者偏好以反應在產品外觀上是相當重要的。因為現在的消費者有許多類似功能產品的選擇，透過視覺審視與比較的美學品質便成為一個購買決策的關鍵因素(Maxfield, Dew, Zhao, Juster, & Fitchie, 2002)。擬真虛擬原型的使用可以準確的評估消費者對產品的認同度(接受度)。製造者則可以確認那些提高消費者接受度的元素(Tseng, Jiao, & Jun, 1998)。 The research team at [the Midwestern University] is developing a first-of-its-kind, Internet-based virtual reality system that maps and understands the complex decision-making processes individuals use. To create relevant virtual environments, furniture decision-making processes are reviewed as shown in Figure 14. The furniture decision-making process begins with style choice. The furniture style choice imbues the purchase process with excitement and expectations. However, because consumers go though a lengthy decision-making process involving a compromise between what they want and what they realistically can have, the initially preferred style does not necessarily lead to the final choice. As consumers choose their preferred style, they narrow their options or alternatives. In this stage, constraints that consumers face play a significant role in evaluating alternatives. the Midwestern University的研究團隊正開發一個「first-of-its-kind, Internet-based virtual reality system 」，它探測與理解複雜的個人決策過程。為了創造一相關的虛擬環境，家具選擇決策過程如圖14所示。傢俱選擇決策過程起始於「風格選擇」。傢俱風格的選擇充斥整個購買過程以興奮與期待。因為消費者經歷一段冗長的決策過程，「什麼是他們想要的」「什麼是他們真正能擁有的」，最初的偏好風格並不一定會是最後的選擇。當消費者選擇他們的偏好風格時，他們收斂他們的選擇或抉擇。在此階段中，消費者扮演一個面臨抉擇評價的角色。   Figure 15. Architecture of the VRIS  To test such a complex decision-making process, the Virtual Reality Integrated System (VRIS) is designed. VRIS simulates this entire decision-making process by allowing viewers to set up their own room with given furniture items by responding to prompts from the system. VR allows users to choose furniture pieces, drop them into a virtual room, manipulate colors, and fabrics, then place different items in the scene and assess the combination based on an instantly changeable yet realistic layout of the room. It allows online users to experience simulated products visualized in three-dimensional space. With sophisticated data gathering techniques that involve database and interactive Internet survey capabilities, the VRIS is designed to capture how people evaluate alternative choices under constraints and what information people rely on for making the final decision. 圖15顯示VRIS的整體架構。一個網路探勘機制將會被設計用來擷取使用者背景資訊包含購買行為、參數、限制、與購買決策激勵因素。這個探勘機制將結合VR展示機制，所以這兩個不同的介面(VR展示介面與問卷介面)將無縫地溝通彼此。VR展示之3D家具模型來自於CAD(創造或修改)，然後儲存於資料庫。虛擬3D模型被設計與使用者自然互動的程式。除了問卷收集資訊之外，還自動地追蹤滑鼠資訊，從VR使用之搜尋、匹配、與檢視產品，也萃取出關於：輸入的資料與使用者互動情況，之間連結的資訊。ㄧ旦VRIS開發完成，相同的內容可以被轉製到沉浸式VR，以3D立體投影或HMD裝置，以提供更強化的存在感(臨場感)。  Figure 15 shows the overall architecture of the VRIS. An Internet survey will be designed to capture users’ background information including purchase behaviors, preferences, constraints, and motivators for purchase decisions. The survey is incorporated with the VR showroom so that the two different interfaces (i.e. VR showroom and questionnaire) are seamlessly communicating with each other. 3D furniture models for the VR showroom is created or modified from CAD models and then stored in the database. Virtual 3D models are programmed to interact naturally with users. In addition to information collected from the survey questions, automated mouse tracking data from using VR to search, match, and examine products also extract information about connections between input data and viewers’ interactions. Once the VRIS development is complete, the same contents can be converted for immersive VR displays with 3D stereo projection walls or head-mounted display devices in order to provide a stronger sense of ‘being there’. 圖15顯示VRIS的整體架構。一個網路探勘機制將會被設計用來擷取使用者背景資訊包含購買行為、參數、限制、與購買決策激勵因素。這個探勘機制將結合VR展示機制，所以這兩個不同的介面(VR展示介面與問卷介面)將無縫地溝通彼此。VR展示之3D家具模型來自於CAD(創造或修改)，然後儲存於資料庫。虛擬3D模型被設計與使用者自然互動的程式。除了問卷收集資訊之外，還自動地追蹤滑鼠資訊，從VR使用之搜尋、匹配、與檢視產品，也萃取出關於：輸入的資料與使用者互動情況，之間連結的資訊。ㄧ旦VRIS開發完成，相同的內容可以被轉製到沉浸式VR，以3D立體投影或HMD裝置，以提供更強化的存在感(臨場感)。   Conclusions 【  此部份貼在回應區裡 】