Kurt A. Chipperfield
Virtual Reality Applications Center
T-P Yeh
Virtual Reality Applications Center
Judy M. Vance
Virtual Reality Applications Center
Iowa State University
Ames, Iowa 50011-2160
2002 NSF Design, Service and Manufacturing Grantees and Research Conference Proceedings, San Juan, Puerto Rico, January 7-10, 2002
Abstract
This grant provides funding for the development of a virtual reality-based tool which will couple the computer-aided-design (CAD) geometry model to the analysis model of a product and provide a three-dimensional environment to allow for investigation of the effect that shape changes have on the stress distribution within the product. We intend to develop an immersive virtual reality (VR) application which will facilitate collaborative “what if” explorations of how stresses are affected when part geometry is changed. A critical component to this research is the development of fast approximation or calculation methods for stress analysis that will allow for immediate display in the virtual environment. Haptics, in the form of force feedback, will be an integral part of the virtual environment and will provide additional information to the participants concerning the feasibility of the design and the impact that the shape changes have on assembly with other parts in the product design. If successful, the results of this research will lead to improvements in concurrent design methods and result in reduced product development time. The primary goal of this research is to develop a methodology that couples CAD models with analysis models and allows shape changes to be performed in real time in a three-dimensional virtual environment. Participants from diverse backgrounds such as engineering, marketing, and manufacturing will benefit from the use of this methodology in the virtual environment because the environment more closely mimics the real world than does the traditional monitor, mouse and keyboard computer interface. Providing this design/analysis environment will encourage the quick investigation of many possible shape changes and how they affect the final product assembly and operation.
