A survey of virtual prototyping techniques for mechanical product development

Repeated, efficient, and extensive use of prototypes is a vital activity that can make the difference between successful and unsuccessful entry of new products into the competitive world market. In this respect, physical prototyping can prove to be very lengthy and expensive, especially if modifications resulting from design reviews involve tool redesign. The availability and affordability of advanced computer technology has paved the way for increasing utilization of prototypes that are digital and created in computer-based environments, i.e. they are virtual as opposed to being physical. The technology for using virtual prototypes was pioneered and adopted initially by large automotive and aerospace industries. Small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing industry also need to take virtual prototyping (VP) technology more seriously in order to exploit the benefits. VP is becoming very advanced and may eventually dominate the product development process. However, physical prototypes will still be required for the near future, albeit less frequently. This paper presents a general survey of the available VP techniques and highlights some of the most important developments and research issues while providing sources for further reference. The purpose of the paper is to provide potential SME users with a broad picture of the field of VP and to identify issues and information relevant to the deployment and implementation of VP technology

Future directions for the development of Virtual Reality within an automotive manufacturer

Virtual Reality (VR) can reduce time and costs, and lead to increases in quality, in the development of a product. Given the pressure on car companies to reduce time-to-market and to continually improve quality, the automotive industry has championed the use of VR across a number of applications, including design, manufacturing, and training. This paper describes interviews with 11 engineers and employees of allied disciplines from an automotive manufacturer about their current physical and virtual properties and processes. The results guided a review of research findings and scientific advances from the academic literature, which formed the basis of recommendations for future developments of VR technologies and applications. These include: develop a greater range of virtual contexts; use multi-sensory simulation; address perceived differences between virtual and real cars; improve motion capture capabilities; implement networked 3D technology; and use VR for market research

Special Session on Industry 4.0

No abstract available

Exploring Physicality in the Design Process

The design process used in the development of many products we use daily and the nature of the products themselves are becoming increasingly digital. Although our whole world is turning ever more digital, our bodies and minds are naturally conceived to interact with the physical. Very often, in the design of user-targeted information appliances, the physical and digital processes are formulated separately and usually, due to cost factors, they are only brought together for user testing at the end of the development process. This not only makes major design changes more difficult but it can also significantly affect the users’ level of acceptance of the product and their experience of use. It is therefore imperative that designers explore the relationship between the physical and the digital form early on in the development process, when one can rapidly work through different sets of ideas. The key to gaining crucial design information from products lies in the construction of meaningful prototypes. This paper specifically examines how physical materials are used during the early design stage and seeks to explore whether the inherent physical properties of these artefacts and the way that designers interpret and manipulate them have a significant impact on the design process. We present the findings of a case study based on information gathered during a design exercise. Detailed analysis of the recordings reveals far more subtle patterns of behaviour than expected. These include the ways in which groups move between abstract and concrete discussions, the way groups comply with or resist the materials they are given, and the complex interactions between the physicality of materials and the group dynamics. This understanding is contributing to ongoing research in the context of our wider agenda of explicating the fundamental role of physicality in the design of hybrid physical and digital artefacts. Keywords: Physicality; Digitality; Product Design; Design Process; Prototyping; Materials</p

Experience Prototyping for Automotive Applications

In recent years, we started to define our life through experiences we make instead of objectswe buy. To attend a concert of our favorite musician may be more important for us thanowning an expensive stereo system. Similarly, we define interactive systems not only by thequality of the display or its usability, but rather by the experiences we can make when usingthe device. A cell phone is primarily built for making calls and receiving text messages,but on an emotional level it might provide a way to be close to our loved ones, even thoughthey are far away sometimes. When designing interactive technology, we do not only haveto answer the question how people use our systems, but also why they use them. Thus,we need to concentrate on experiences, feelings and emotions arising during interaction.Experience Design is an approach focusing on the story that a product communicates beforeimplementing the system. In an interdisciplinary team of psychologists, industrial designers, product developers andspecialists in human-computer interaction, we applied an Experience Design process to theautomotive domain. A major challenge for car manufacturers is the preservation of theseexperiences throughout the development process. When implementing interactive systemsengineers rely on technical requirements and a set of constraints (e.g., safety) oftentimescontradicting aspects of the designed experience. To resolve this conflict, Experience Prototypingis an important tool translating experience stories to an actual interactive product. With this thesis I investigate the Experience Design process focusing on Experience Prototyping.Within the automotive context, I report on three case studies implementing threekinds of interactive systems, forming and following our approach. I implemented (1) anelectric vehicle information system called Heartbeat, communicating the state of the electricdrive and the batteries to the driver in an unobtrusive and ensuring way. I integrated Heartbeatinto the dashboard of a car mock-up with respect to safety and space requirements butat the same time holding on to the story in order to achieve a consistent experience. With (2)the Periscope I implemented a mobile navigation device enhancing the social and relatednessexperiences of the passengers in the car. I built and evaluated several experience prototypesin different stages of the design process and showed that they transported the designed experiencethroughout the implementation of the system. Focusing on (3) the experience offreehand gestures, GestShare explored this interaction style for in-car and car-to-car socialexperiences. We designed and implemented a gestural prototypes for small but effectivesocial interactions between drivers and evaluated the system in the lab and and in-situ study. The contributions of this thesis are (1) a definition of Experience Prototyping in the automotivedomain resulting from a literature review and my own work, showing the importanceand feasibility of Experience Prototyping for Experience Design. I (2) contribute three casestudies and describe the details of several prototypes as milestones on the way from a anexperience story to an interactive system. I (3) derive best practices for Experience Prototypingconcerning their characteristics such as fidelity, resolution and interactivity as well asthe evaluation in the lab an in situ in different stages of the process.Wir definieren unser Leben zunehmend durch Dinge, die wir erleben und weniger durchProdukte, die wir kaufen. Ein Konzert unseres Lieblingsmusikers zu besuchen kann dabeiwichtiger sein, als eine teure Stereoanlage zu besitzen. Auch interaktive Systeme bewertenwir nicht mehr nur nach der Qualität des Displays oder der Benutzerfreundlichkeit, sondernauch nach Erlebnissen, die durch die Benutzung möglich werden. Das Smartphone wurdehauptsächlich zum Telefonieren und Schreiben von Nachrichten entwickelt. Auf einer emotionalenEbene bietet es uns aber auch eine Möglichkeit, wichtigen Personen sehr nah zusein, auch wenn sie manchmal weit weg sind. Bei der Entwicklung interaktiver Systememüssen wir uns daher nicht nur fragen wie, sondern auch warum diese benutzt werden. Erlebnisse,Gefühle und Emotionen, die während der Interaktion entstehen, spielen dabei einewichtige Rolle. Experience Design ist eine Disziplin, die sich auf Geschichten konzentriert,die ein Produkt erzählt, bevor es tatsächlich implementiert wird. In einem interdisziplinären Team aus Psychologen, Industrie-Designern, Produktentwicklernund Spezialisten der Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion wurde ein Prozess zur Erlebnis-Gestaltung im automobilen Kontext angewandt. Die Beibehaltung von Erlebnissen über dengesamten Entwicklungsprozess hinweg ist eine große Herausforderung für Automobilhersteller.Ingenieure hängen bei der Implementierung interaktiver Systeme von technischen,sicherheitsrelevanten und ergonomischen Anforderungen ab, die oftmals dem gestaltetenErlebnis widersprechen. Die Bereitstellung von Erlebnis-Prototypen ermöglicht die Übersetzungvon Geschichten in interaktive Produkte und wirkt daher diesem Konflikt entgegen. Im Rahmen dieser Dissertation untersuche ich den Prozess zur Erlebnis-Gestaltung hinsichtlichder Bedeutung von Erlebnis-Prototypen. Ich berichte von drei Fallbeispielen im automobilenBereich, die die Gestaltung und Implementierung verschiedener interaktiver Systemenumfassen. (1) Ein Informationssystem für Elektrofahrzeuge, der Heartbeat, macht den Zustanddes elektrischen Antriebs und den Ladestand der Batterien für den Fahrer visuell undhaptisch erlebbar. Nach der Implementierung mehrerer Prototypen wurde Heartbeat unterBerücksichtigung verschiedener technischer und sicherheitsrelevanter Anforderungen in dieArmaturen eines Fahrzeugmodells integriert, ohne dass dabei das gestaltete Erlebnis verlorengegangen ist. (2) Das Periscope ist ein mobiles Navigationsgerät, das den Insassensoziale Erlebnisse ermöglicht und das Verbundenheitsgefühl stärkt. Durch die Implementierungmehrere Erlebnis-Prototypen und deren Evaluation in verschiedenen Phasen des Entwicklungsprozesseskonnten die gestalteten Erlebnisse konsistent erhalten werden. (3) ImProjekt GestShare wurde das Potential der Interaktion durch Freiraumgesten im Fahrzeuguntersucht. Dabei standen ein Verbundenheitserlebnis des Fahrers und soziale Interaktionenmit Fahrern anderer Fahrzeuge im Fokus. Es wurden mehrere Prototypen implementiert undauch in einer Verkehrssituation evaluiert. Die wichtigsten Beiträge dieser Dissertation sind (1) eine intensive Betrachtung und Anwendungvon Erlebnis-Prototypen im Auto und deren Relevanz bei der Erlebnis-Gestaltung,beruhend auf einer Literaturauswertung und der eigenen Erfahrung innerhalb des Projekts; (2) drei Fallstudien und eine detaillierte Beschreibung mehrere Prototypen in verschiedenenPhasen des Prozesses und (3) Empfehlungen zu Vorgehensweisen bei der Erstellung vonErlebnis-Prototypen hinsichtlich der Eigenschaften wie Nähe zum finalen Produkt, Anzahlder implementierten Details und Interaktivität sowie zur Evaluation im Labor und in tatsächlichenVerkehrssituationen in verschiedenen Phasen des Entwicklungsprozesses

Changeable Context of the New Technology Artefact and the Changeable Research Outcomes

Computer Aided Drawing (vector based) and painting (raster based) packages, allow the mock-up of designs in virtual space. Whilst this is beneficial for visualising the end product, both methods of drawing have been applied to new and existing machining technologies so that some aspect of the product is derived from a computer file. Today, the applied artist now has an abundance of CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Drawing / Computer Aided Manufacturing) technologies awaiting them. So much so, that in the past fifteen years, many makers have embarked upon practice-led research to find out what a particular technology can do with regard to their design interests. Within such research, the object is the manifestation of what has been discovered through the research activity. This paper considers the relationship between the content of the research object and the context for the object’s reception. This is examined with regard to the author’s research with new technologies for the applied arts. Examples will highlight how the characteristics of artefacts that arise from the research can help determine who the audience for the work is, and how the technology might be used by different kinds of craft practitioners. References will also be made to the work of other designer-makers working with and researching similar technologies. Evidence from practical examples will also be supported by a more theoretical discussion. The implications of supplying, or not supplying, background information for an audience within a variety of settings on the perceived content/context of the object, and the communication of the research, will also be discussed. It is concluded that when developing new processes, keeping the work open to a number of audiences can maximise the outcomes and increase the chances of the process being integrated within practice. The discussion also highlights a trend of positioning the consumer/viewer at the forefront of the research, and a need to evaluate their experiences

Rapid Physical Models: A New Phase in Industrial Design

Rapid prototyping, especially in the form of 3D printing, has pervaded over key aspects of design engineering since the start of this millennium. Today, rapid physical model making has applications in engineering, architecture, design, and fine art. While 3D printing today is mostly about prototyping of design as a precursor to production, not many have studied the use of 3D for industrial design in detail. With core responsibilities for three important nodes of user experience, namely function, human factors (ergonomics) and the aesthetics and emotion, 3D printing has been playing a major role in the process of industrial design. This chapter elucidates this through examples leading the reader to think about the future practice of rapid physical model making in industrial design. The chapter concludes by mentioning future scenarios that industrial design may take with constant innovations in 3D printing

On the Avant-Garde IDeS Method for the Future of Car Design Applied to an SUV Project

This case study aims to develop a new innovative SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle) model exploiting IDeS (Industrial Design Structure), which is an engineering approach conceived to optimize car design projects in the automotive industry like never before. A compact SUV was chosen because it is a type of vehicle that is highly requested by customers, and it is extremely successful in the market due to its versatility. In fact, compact SUVs are mixed vehicles that combine the pragmatism of a car with the typical robustness of an off-road vehicle making them suitable both for urban and off-road scenarios. The following pages will illustrate the steps followed for the realization of the final product using the SDE (Stylistic Design Engineering) method and other various design technologies, such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD), Benchmarking (BM) and Top Flop Analysis (TPA). In the final part of this project, the virtual prototyping of the product is carried out using Additive Manufacturing (AM) with an FDM 3D printer. The combination of these methods forms, to all intents and purposes, the IDeS, a newly developed innovative and cutting-edge discipline capable of schematically guiding the new product development process in companies with unprecedented efficiency