Session: 02-06-01: eXtended Reality & Digital Design

Paper Number: 145395

145395 - Ar/vr as a Design Engineering Tool: Utilizing Augmented and Virtual Reality Environments to Assist Design Engineering 

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) are fast growing tools that engineers everywhere are implementing as interactive viewing platforms. However, we are aiming to utilize traditional AR/VR hardware not only as viewers, but as innovative and interactive design tools in conjunction with traditional 3D modeling methods. Our technical talk will showcase an AR/VR software package called DECK (Design Engineering Collaboration Kit) that the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory is developing to effectively augment traditional 3D design engineering tools such as Computer Aided Modeling and 3D printing. Our discussion and demonstration will showcase how DECK can make critical contributions to a wide variety of digital engineering-based projects early in the design process.

We will open the talk by outlining the current capabilities of AR/VR tools. We will dive into their typical use cases, strengths, and weaknesses. While it is interesting and valuable to see a 3D model in virtual reality and/or projected into space with augmented reality, the users cannot actively develop their designs through these platforms. Our tool goes further and allows users to collaborate and design within an AR/VR environment using a suite of custom tools designed for engineers.

Our talk will then focus on the pipeline we use to take large-scale 3D models, decimate and place them into the DECK environment, and then how we use DECK’s tools to execute engineering exercises. We will show how information from a prototyping session can be loaded back into a CAD environment and used as input to enhance designs in progress. This process is extremely valuable when a physical mockup is non-existent and a given design is constantly changing. By pairing conventional CAD-based engineering with this powerful tool, not only can we perform quick-turn, collaborative design reviews, but we can use the outputs to guide design decisions rather than just waiting to see the results in a scale mockup. Our talk will show the various tools and benefits DECK offers over other traditional viewers as well as how it can be adapted for use as a design engineering platform. We will showcase DECK’s measure tool, annotation capabilities, and the annotation to CAD part pipeline.

Next, we will present on our future goals and milestones as well as current technological considerations. The ultimate goal of DECK is to create a package that is headset agnostic in order to assist in the design and manufacturing decision making processes while reducing physical/time waste and project risk. Furthermore, we will discuss current technological hurdles and our mitigation approaches to obstacles such as limited object tracking, difficulties in the CAD to AR/VR pipeline, and future-proofing of the system. The DECK team is actively developing features that will make this tool even more interactive, customizable, and universally secure.

To conclude our presentation, we will offer a demonstration of our AR/VR package. We will explain how the environment works and show our software package’s functionalities in real time. Then, we will have headsets on site so attendees can experience DECK for themselves.

               The impact such a technology could have on the traditional design process is extensive. Engineers from around the world could simultaneously collaborate on 3D models in real time virtual environments. Engineers and technicians can walk around an object and discuss challenges before a mockup is even built. Packaging engineers can see the to-scale space constraints that affect design decisions, while integration engineers can test out access panels and integration techniques long before support equipment is built. These are just a few use cases for this software in the constantly developing field of mechanical engineering. By introducing this adaptable design platform at IMECE, we hope to explain our process, gain feedback and advice for future system capabilities, and find new use cases for our AR/VR tool.

Presenting Author: Radha Deshmukh JHU APL

Presenting Author Biography: Radha is an engineer in the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Design Group. She obtained her undergrad in Mechanical Engineering from Johns Hopkins and is currently pursuing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Material Science. In addition to her work as a cable harnessing and routing engineer, she does a large span of mechanical engineering projects that range from computer aided design, electronics packaging, finite element analysis, and rapid prototyping to material test fixtures for hypersonics. Recently, Radha has gotten involved in Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) work, and she is now part of the team developing APL’s very own AR/VR software, APEX.

(Note: Copresenting with Sam Sheppard).

Authors:

Radha Deshmukh JHU APL
Sam Sheppard JHU APL