Spatial mechanism design in virtual reality with networking

Development and increased use of virtual reality tools are allowing users to replace physical models with digital models. Changes that are expensive and take a long time to make are easily done on digital models. VRNETS software was developed as a tool for designing and evaluating spatial 4C mechanism with networking to allow users at different locations to share positions and mechanism data. Spatial mechanisms allow motion in three-dimensional space. Spatial 4C mechanisms consist of four rigid links connected by four cylindrical (CCCC) joints. Solutions are obtained by synthesis, after specifying the location and orientation of four positions in space. The solutions are represented as a type map or as a set of congruencies. A type map is a 2D color-coded map representing the solutions. All of the possible mechanisms that can be formed that pass through all four positions are obtained in the solution set but not all of the mechanisms necessarily move in a continuous motion between the positions.;Filters are applied to the type map to indicate the mechanisms that suffer from branch and circuit defects. From these representations, the user can choose and evaluate different mechanisms. Animating each mechanism will show if the mechanism goes through the positions in the orientation and order specified. This design process is shared between two or more users through a network process based on client/server networking. Networking is implemented using World2Wolrd software, which is written on top of User Datagram Protocol (UDP). The application itself is written in C++ using WorldToolKit software libraries. This application provides designers with a tool to design spatial 4C mechanism. The virtual environment enables designers to interact with the design using natural, intuitive, three-dimensional motions

Digital Twin for Hybrid Installations

The product development and lifecycle management is constantly affected by digitalization. The same trend has been also observed in the simulation technology. The system simulation has evolved from applications with limited and specific use cases to more standardized and multi-disciplinary tools. The “Digital Twin” concept is the most recent advancement in this field where its definition is beyond a simulator. The concept arose from the “Industry 4.0” development and it can be described as a bi-directional communication between physical products data and their digital representation in the entire product lifecycle. A hybrid power module consists of components such as an engine, a gearbox, the generator sets, the batteries, and technologies for efficiently exploiting the mechanical energy form the engine and the electrical energy from the batteries. The modular product development necessitates adoption of systems engineering approaches and principles in order to handle the product lifecycle management appropriately. Handling the product lifecycle management for the hybrid power modules encompasses the integration of disengaged elements, data, and stakeholders throughout the product development. In order to address the abovementioned problem, model-based systems engineering approach incorporates available tools and technologies. A product lifecycle management platform and tools in hand like web services and functional mock-up interface justify the development of a digital twin application. This application must be able to reveal the adoption of system of systems view for hybrid power module development. This can be achieved by creating a reference system model and continuously enriching it with the product lifecycle data. To begin with the implementation of a digital twin application, systems engineering theories are studied, a software development lifecycle is chosen, prototypes of the application, and development technologies are selected. Lastly, the application is programmed and deployed. The digital twin application is embedded inside a product lifecycle management platform and exploits other resources and data alongside. The application is a simplified implementation of the “V” lifecycle model in systems engineering and achieves objectives like task-centered product development, value co-creation in business processes, product data management, simulation-based, and requirements validation among others

Personal communications

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Architecture, 1991.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 75-77).by Chi Chong Wong.M.S

Chatter--a conversational telephone agent

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Program in Media Arts & Sciences, 1993.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-130).by Eric Thich Vi Ly.M.S

Internet-based solutions to support distributed manufacturing

With the globalisation and constant changes in the marketplace, enterprises are adapting themselves to face new challenges. Therefore, strategic corporate alliances to share knowledge, expertise and resources represent an advantage in an increasing competitive world. This has led the integration of companies, customers, suppliers and partners using networked environments. This thesis presents three novel solutions in the tooling area, developed for Seco tools Ltd, UK. These approaches implement a proposed distributed computing architecture using Internet technologies to assist geographically dispersed tooling engineers in process planning tasks. The systems are summarised as follows. TTS is a Web-based system to support engineers and technical staff in the task of providing technical advice to clients. Seco sales engineers access the system from remote machining sites and submit/retrieve/update the required tooling data located in databases at the company headquarters. The communication platform used for this system provides an effective mechanism to share information nationwide. This system implements efficient methods, such as data relaxation techniques, confidence score and importance levels of attributes, to help the user in finding the closest solutions when specific requirements are not fully matched In the database. Cluster-F has been developed to assist engineers and clients in the assessment of cutting parameters for the tooling process. In this approach the Internet acts as a vehicle to transport the data between users and the database. Cluster-F is a KD approach that makes use of clustering and fuzzy set techniques. The novel proposal In this system is the implementation of fuzzy set concepts to obtain the proximity matrix that will lead the classification of the data. Then hierarchical clustering methods are applied on these data to link the closest objects. A general KD methodology applying rough set concepts Is proposed In this research. This covers aspects of data redundancy, Identification of relevant attributes, detection of data inconsistency, and generation of knowledge rules. R-sets, the third proposed solution, has been developed using this KD methodology. This system evaluates the variables of the tooling database to analyse known and unknown relationships in the data generated after the execution of technical trials. The aim is to discover cause-effect patterns from selected attributes contained In the database. A fourth system was also developed. It is called DBManager and was conceived to administrate the systems users accounts, sales engineers’ accounts and tool trial monitoring process of the data. This supports the implementation of the proposed distributed architecture and the maintenance of the users' accounts for the access restrictions to the system running under this architecture

Competitiveness of Romania’s South-East Region in the European Context

The European interventionist policy is much stronger on the regional level than on the level of national states. Each economic activity in Europe’s regions has now its own place on the European market economy. Creating a European market is important due to its size and economic potential. The Central and Eastern Europe is a potential area of new markets expansion and organization. Moreover expansion and trade are becoming important to the entire European economy as well as all its regions

Studies of computer mediated communications systems : a synthesis of the findings

This report is an attempt to collect and synthesize current knowledge about computer-mediated communication systems. It focuses on computerized conferencing systems, for which most evaluational studies have been conducted, and also includes those electronic mail and office support systems for which evaluative information is available. It was made possible only through the participation of the many systems designers and evaluators listed below, who took the time to help to build a common conceptual framework and report their findings in terms of that common framework