Virtual and mixed reality tools to support the design of astronomical instrumentation in a concurrent design environment

The technologies in the eXtended Reality (XR) field have been rapidly developing in the last few years, allowing for their effective implementation in many different applications, beside the entertainment world they are more commonly associated to. This paper studies the integration of virtual and mixed reality elements in a concurrent engineering environment. More specifically, eXtended Reality tools will be employed in the Concurrent Design Facility that is being developed at the Capodimonte Astronomical Observatory in Naples, in the scope of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan project "STILES - Strengthening the Italian leadership in ELT and SKA". The XR environment will aid in the definition of the design, allowing the participants of a concurrent engineering session to inspect and manipulate complex 3D models, enabling detailed examinations of components, interfaces and potential issues. This immersive experience helps to identify design flaws and possible criticalities during various phases of the assembly, integration and operation of astronomical instrumentation, that would not be as easily found during a standard design review process. Other applications are also foreseen, including training of personnel for maintenance operations. The best way to properly integrate these tools in the design process, with the aim of effectively supporting the concurrent approach philosophy of effort and time efficiency is under study, as the Naples facility is built and tested in all its features and possibilities.