Virtual reality and rapid prototyping: conflicting or complementary?

It is likely that the uses for virtual reality (VR) will coincide with applications that rapid prototyping systems have already been used for. VR, with the ability to model real life environments, presents an ideal base for the design and development of new manufactured products. As a method of producing physical models directly from 3D CAD systems, rapid prototyping technology has also been used to visualise new product designs. This paper attempts to determine whether the two technologies are a means to the same end or whether they combine to form a more efficient route to product development.