Virtual Prototyping

Virtual Prototyping (VP) technique has been interpreted in many different ways, which causes confusion and misunderstanding among researchers and practitioners. Based on a review of the current related research and application, this paper proposes a definition of VP as well as components of a virtual prototype. VP is then compared with and distinguished from virtual reality (VR), virtual environment (VE), and virtual manufacturing (VM) techniques. Given the proposed definition and review of VP, future VP related research topics are suggested.

This article introduces the concept of combining both form (CAD models) and behavior (simulation models) of mechatronic system components into component objects. By connecting these component objects to each other through their ports, designers can create both a system-level design description and a virtual prototype of the system. This virtual prototype, in turn, can provide immediate feedback about design decisions by evaluating whether the functional requirements are met in simulation. To achieve the composition of behavioral models, we introduce a port-based modeling paradigm. The port-based models are reconfigurable, so that the same physical component can be simulated at multiple levels of detail without having to modify the system-level model description. This allows the virtual prototype to evolve during the design process, and to achieve the accuracy required for the simulation experiments at each design stage. To maintain the consistency between the form and behavior of component objects, we introduce parametric relations between these two descriptions. In addition, we develop algorithms that determine the type and parameter values of the lower pair interaction models; these models depend on the form of both components that are interacting. This article presents the initial results of our approach. The discussion is limited to high-level system models consisting of components and lumped component interactions described by differential algebraic equations. Expanding these concepts to finite element models and distributed interactions is left for future research. Our composable simulation and design environment has been implemented as a distributed system in Java and C11, enabling multiple users to collaborate on the design of a single system. Our current implementation has been applied to a variety of systems ranging from consumer electronics to electrical train systems. We illustrate its functionality and use with a design scenario.

Abstract. Current simulation tools for multibody dynamics are not problem dependent, they use the same modeling process to all cases regardless of their characteristics. In addition, real-time simulation of small multibody systems is achievable by existing simulation tools, however, ...

New sophisticated haptic-rendering algorithms let users experience virtual objects through touch. We systematically investigate the unrealistic behavior of virtual haptic textures. The emerging science of haptic rendering consists of delivering properties of physical objects through the sense of touch. Owing to the recent development of sophisticated haptic-rendering algorithms, users can now experience virtual objects through touch in many exciting applications,

This paper presents the development and implementation of integrated intelligent CAD (computer aided design) system for design, analysis and prototyping of the compression and torsion springs. The article shows a structure of the developed system named Springs IICAD (integrated intelligent computer aided design). The system bounds synthesis and analysis design phases by means of the utilization of parametric 3D (three-dimensional) modeling, FEM (finite element method) analysis and prototyping. The development of the module for spring calculation and system integration was performed in the C# (C Sharp) programming language. Three-dimensional geometric modeling and structural analysis were performed in the CATIA (computer aided three-dimensional interactive application) software, while prototyping is performed with the Ultimaker 3.0 3D printer with support of Cura software. The developed Springs IICAD system interlinks computation module with the basic parametric models in such a way that spring calculation, shaping, FEM analysis and prototype preparation are performed instantly.

1 FZI Forschungszentrum Informatik Haid-und-Neu-Str. 10-14 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany ... Matthias Krause1, Dominik Englert1, Oliver Bringmann1 and Wolfgang Rosenstiel1,2 ... * This work has partially been supported by the BMBF project VISION under grant number 01M ...

We are interested in developing real-time applications such as games or virtual prototyping that take advantage of the user full-body input to control a wide range of entities, from a self-similar avatar to any type of animated characters, including virtual humanoids with differing size and proportions. The key issue is, as always in real-time interactions, to identify the key factors that should get computational resources for ensuring the best user interaction efficiency. For this reason we first recall the definition and scope of such essential terms as immersion and presence, while clarifying the confusion existing in the fields of Virtual Reality and Games. This is done in conjunction with a short literature survey relating our interaction efficiency goal to key inspirations and findings from the field of Action Neuroscience. We then briefly describe our full-body real-time postural control with proactive local collision avoidance. The concept of obstacle spherification is introduced both to reduce local minima and to decrease the user cognitive task while interacting in complex environments. Finally we stress the interest of the egocentric environment scaling so that the user egocentric space matches the one of a height-differing controlled avatar.