VRTools

Company background
IES was approached by an R& D company needing to work with a partner with expertise in Virtual Reality, CAD, and haptic feedback devices. Their motivation was to develop new technology that used and integrated haptic-feedback devices with common desktop environments for practical, realistic training simulations.

Problem
The cost of using and promoting VR in manufacturing environments has delayed and prevented the adoption of this powerful tool in the manufacturing environment. To promote practical, cost-effective usages of VR, an application was needed that integrated a Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) desktop environment with COTS haptic input devices to assist in every day tasks.

In addition to the cost savings of using an existing desktop application, there was a technical concern regarding the feasibility of applied VR. Most VR applications maintain an indirect link with the system used to generate the geometry. In manufacturing environments this is commonly a CAD application. In most scenarios, models are exported from the CAD system to the viewer in a neutral, faceted format. However, this creates a one-way communication scheme, allowing models to flow to the viewer but preventing or hindering the user from performing and saving changes back in the source CAD system. Solving this problem was an important facet of this challenge.

Solution
First an application concept was identified - the customer identified the need of training users on their CAD system using haptic feedback devices for input. Then the implantation details were refined. IES used CATIA V5 for the COTS desktop environment and Immersion Corporation’s CyberForce & CyberGrasp for the haptic feedback devices. Finally, the solution, VRTools, was implemented.

VRTools is a CATIA V5 workbench that harnesses motion tracking and force feedback technology to simulate assembly and disassembly operations in a virtual desktop environment. It also supports cutting operations that enable parts and assemblies to be cut into pieces. Users can choose from a catalog of virtual mechanical and cutting tools along with compatible fasteners to perform real-time assembly simulations.

Benefits

• Enables users to define and maintain component-fastener mapping
• Intelligently determines the assembly component's state based on the component-fastener mapping
• Supports variety of tools compatible with threaded fasteners such as wrenches, screwdrivers, etc.
• Supports cutting operations using variety of cutting tools
• Recognizes components cut into multiple pieces and enables independent manipulation
• Uses CATIA Catalog document to maintain an extendable library of virtual tools and fasteners
• Intelligently shortlists compatible tools for a given assembly

Results

• Cost effective VR application created that can benefit any manufacturing / assembly operation or training need
• Decreased employee training time
• Increased employee knowledge