Collaborative Mixed-Reality Environment to Support the Industrial Product Development

Abstract

The paper describes a collaborative Mixed-Reality (MR) environment to support the product design assessment. In particular, we have developed a collaborative platform that enables us to improve the design and the evaluation of cars interior. The platform consists of two different systems: the 3D Haptic Modeler (3DHM) and the Mixed Reality Seating Buck (MRSB). The 3DHM is a workbench that allows us to modify the 3D model of a car dashboard by using a haptic device, while the MRSB is a configurable structure that enables us to simulate different driving seats. The two systems allow the collaboration among designers, engineers and end users in order to get, as final result, a concept design of the product that satisfies both design constraints and end users’ preferences. The usability of our collaborative MR environment has been evaluated by means of some testing sessions, based on two different case studies, with the involvement of users.

Haptic Assembly and Prototyping: An Expository Review

“…The KAEMaRT research group (Cugini et al and Bordegoni et al) at the Politecnico di Milano developed a system called T'nD [32,33,36] to perform conceptual design activities using virtual tools attached to a 6DOF FCS-HapticMaster device to simulate physical form-making activities-e.g., surface scraping using rakes [34] and finishing using sandpaper [92] modeled using chip removal theory [262]. The group also developed other prototypes such as VeRVE [31,32,43] for ergonomic validation using haptic knobs [82], and PROGIMM [38][39][40] as a mixed-reality platform for validating prototypes in the automotive industry in collaboration with Caruso et al [57][58][59]. These conceptual design and ergonomic validation functionalities were also integrated, in addition to aesthetic design tools [35,41,42] into a multimodal and multisensory system called SATIN [97,113] using a deformable strip attached to two FCS-HapticMaster devices installed in a parallel configuration and a display system called DVHDS composed of projectors and mirrors for superimposing the virtual scene over the user's hands.…”