*** CALL FOR PAPERS ***

Special Issue of the *Virtual Reality Journal* on
"Virtual Manufacturing"

http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/VirMan06/VR_SI_VM_Call.pdf

*Description*

There has now been well over a decade of applied experience of virtual 
reality technologies relating to manufacturing processes. This work has 
been characterised by a diverse range of interested engineering 
specialisms. It has also seen the rise and fall of a number of vendors, 
yet the nature and extent of sustained uptake by industry is still unclear.

Following the success of the 1st International Virtual Manufacturing 
Workshop (http://www.macs.hw.ac.uk/VirMan06/), the goal of this special 
issue is to provide a timely, international perspective on the 
state-of-the art and the state-of-the-practice in virtual reality 
manufacturing and design systems.

*Topics of interest* include, but are not limited to:

     * standards for interoperation
     * applications
     * integration
     * benchmarks and comparisons
     * historical reflections
     * return on investment
     * simulation and training
     * design support
     * process planning
     * machining
     * assembly

*Submission Guidelines & Important Dates*

The special issue will appear in the Springer journal Virtual Reality 
(www.springer.com/journal/10055). Papers should typically be less than 
8,000 words and of standard journal content: reports of original 
research, review papers, essays and discussions. Papers will be peer 
reviewed in accordance with the journal^Òs normal process. Prospective 
authors should indicate their intention to submit by 2nd June 2006, 
including a planned title for the submission and names of authors.

Papers should be submitted in Microsoft Word or PDF formats by 28th July 
2006. Expected publication would be 2nd quarter of 2007. Please direct 
all submissions and correspondence to r.g.dewar@hw.ac.uk.

*Guest Editors*
Rick Dewar & Jim Ritchie
Heriot-Watt University