1,962 research outputs found
Discrete event simulation and virtual reality use in industry: new opportunities and future trends
This paper reviews the area of combined discrete
event simulation (DES) and virtual reality (VR) use within industry.
While establishing a state of the art for progress in this
area, this paper makes the case for VR DES as the vehicle of choice
for complex data analysis through interactive simulation models,
highlighting both its advantages and current limitations. This paper
reviews active research topics such as VR and DES real-time
integration, communication protocols, system design considerations,
model validation, and applications of VR and DES. While
summarizing future research directions for this technology combination,
the case is made for smart factory adoption of VR DES as
a new platform for scenario testing and decision making. It is put
that in order for VR DES to fully meet the visualization requirements
of both Industry 4.0 and Industrial Internet visions of digital
manufacturing, further research is required in the areas of lower
latency image processing, DES delivery as a service, gesture recognition
for VR DES interaction, and linkage of DES to real-time data streams and Big Data sets
Virtual Reality Applied to Welder Training
Welding is a challenging, risky, and time-consuming profession. Recently, there
has been a documented shortage of trained welders, and as a result, the market
is pushing for an increase in the rate at which new professionals are trained. To
address this growing demand, training institutions are exploring alternative methods to train future professionals with the goals of improving learner retention of
information, shortening training periods, and lowering associated expenses. The
emergence of virtual reality technologies has led to initiatives to explore their potential for welding training. Multiple studies have suggested that virtual reality
training delivers comparable, or even superior, results when compared to more conventional approaches, with shorter training times and reduced costs in consumables.
Additionally, virtual reality allows trainees to try out different approaches to their
work. The primary goal of this dissertation is to develop a virtual reality welding
simulator. To achieve this objective effectively, the creation of a classification system capable of identifying the simulator’s key characteristics becomes imperative.
Therefore, the secondary objective of this thesis is to develop a classification system
for the accurate evaluation and comparison of virtual reality welding simulators.
Regarding the virtual reality welding simulation, the HTC VIVE Pro 2 virtual
reality equipment was employed, to transfer the user’s action from the physical to the
virtual world. Within this virtual environment, it was introduced a suite of welding
tools and integrated a Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics simulator to mimic the
weld creation. After conducting comprehensive testing that revealed certain limitations in welding quality and in the simulator performance, the project opted to
incorporate a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulator. The development of
the CFD simulator proved to be a formidable challenge, and regrettably, its complete
implementation was unattainable. Nevertheless, the project delved into three distinct grid architectures, from these, the dynamic grid was ultimately implemented.
It also proficiently integrated two crucial solvers for the Navier-Stokes equations.
These functions were implemented in the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), to improve their efficiency. Upon comparing GPU and Central Processing Unit (CPU)
performance, the project highlighted the substantial computational advantages of GPUs and the advantages it brings to fluid simulations.A soldadura é uma profissão exigente, perigosa e que requer um grande investimento
de tempo para alcançar resultados satisfatórios. Recentemente, tem sido registada
uma falta de profissionais qualificados na área da soldadura. Como resultado, o mer cado está a pressionar para um aumento do ritmo a que os novos trabalhadores são
formados. Para responder a esta crescente procura, as instituições de formação estão
a explorar métodos alternativos para formar futuros profissionais, com o objetivo de
melhorar a retenção de informação, encurtar os perÃodos de treino e reduzir as despe sas associadas. Com o desenvolvimento de tecnologias nas áreas de realidade virtual
e realidade aumentada, têm surgido iniciativas para explorar o potencial destas na
formação de soldadura. Vários estudos sugeriram que a formação em realidade virtual proporciona resultados comparáveis, ou mesmo superiores, aos de abordagens
mais convencionais, com tempos de formação mais curtos e reduções nos custos de
consumÃveis. Além disso, a realidade virtual permite aos formandos experimentar
diferentes abordagens ao seu trabalho. O objetivo principal desta dissertação é o
desenvolvimento de um simulador de soldadura em realidade virtual. Para atingir este objetivo de forma eficaz, torna-se imperativa a criação de um sistema de
classificação capaz de identificar as caracterÃsticas chave do simulador. Assim, o
objetivo secundário desta dissertação é desenvolver um sistema de classificação para
a avaliação e comparação precisas de simuladores de soldadura em realidade virtual.
Relativamente ao simulador de soldadura em realidade virtual, foi utilizado o
kit de realidade virtual HTC VIVE Pro 2, para transferir as ações do utilizador no
mundo fÃsico para o mundo virtual. No ambiente virtual, foi introduzido um con junto de ferramentas de soldadura e integrado um simulador de Hidrodinâmica de
PartÃculas Suavizadas para simular a criação da solda. Após a realização de testes
exaustivos que revelaram algumas limitações na qualidade da solda e no desempenho
do simulador, o projeto optou por incorporar um simulador de Dinâmica de Fluidos
Computacional (CFD). O desenvolvimento do simulador CFD revelou-se um desa fio formidável e, infelizmente, não foi possÃvel completar a sua implementação. No
entanto, o projeto aprofundou três arquiteturas de grelha distintas, das quais foi
implementada a grelha dinâmica. O projeto também implementou duas funções cru ciais para resolver as equações de Navier-Stokes. As funções relativas ao simulador
de fluidos foram implementadas na Unidade de Processamento Gráfico (GPU), a fim
de melhorar a sua eficiência. Ao comparar o desempenho da GPU com o da Unidade Central de Processamento (CPU), o projeto evidenciou os beneficios computacionais
das GPUs e as vantagens que trazem para as simulações de fluidos
How is VR used to support training in industry? The INTUITION network of excellence working group on education and training
INTUITION is the European Network of Excellence on virtual reality and virtual environments applications for future workspaces. The purpose of the network is to gather expertise from partner members and determine the future research agenda for the development and use of virtual reality (VR) technologies. The working group on Education and Training (WG2.9) is specifically focused on understanding how VR is being used to support learning in educational and industrial contexts. This paper presents four case examples of VR technology currently in use or development for training in industry. Conclusions are drawn concerning future development of VR training applications and barriers that need to be overcome
Too Hot to Handle: An Evaluation of the Effect of Thermal Visual Representation on User Grasping Interaction in Virtual Reality
Influence of interaction fidelity and rendering quality on perceived user experience have been largely explored in Virtual Reality (VR). However, differences in interaction choices triggered by these rendering cues have not yet been explored. We present a study analysing the effect of thermal visual cues and contextual information on 50 participants' approach to grasp and move a virtual mug. This study comprises 3 different temperature cues (baseline empty, hot and cold) and 4 contextual representations; all embedded in a VR scenario. We evaluate 2 different hand representations (abstract and human) to assess grasp metrics. Results show temperature cues influenced grasp location, with the mug handle being predominantly grasped with a smaller grasp aperture for the hot condition, while the body and top were preferred for baseline and cold conditions
The Impact of Extreme Virtual Elevation above Grade on Construction Workers\u27 Physiological Responses, Physical Responses, and Task Performance
On average, in every two work hours, one person dies from work-related injuries at construction sites. Most incidents are due to falling from elevated surfaces. Slips, trips, and loss of balance are the main causes. Studies suggest that instigating visual mismatch and physiological changes are among the most important reasons behind falling from narrow elevated surfaces. By using advanced virtual reality models, this dissertation aims to highlight some of the possible effects of a destabilizing environment (i.e., elevation above grade) on workers’ physiological responses and task performance. More specifically, this dissertation strives to find potential effects of elevation above grade and a moving structural beam as destabilizing environments on construction workers’ postural sway, gait pattern, and task performance accuracy. To that end, a series of virtual reality experiments was conducted on thirty volunteers, all students from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. There were three required VR tasks asked from the subjects once on the ground and again on the 20th floor of an unfinished building: walking on virtual structural beams, standing still on the virtual platform (force plate in reality), and performing hand-steadiness and pursuit tests (physiological battery tests). In addition, to study the plausible relationship between self-perceived fear (and acrophobia) and physiological responses, all subjects were instructed to complete the electronic James Geer’s fear and Cohen’s acrophobia questionnaires. The result of this study showed that elevation above grade has a substantial effect on the gait pattern. More specifically, exposure to elevation increases gait stride height variability and decreases gait stride length. As a result, subjects spend more time on gait tasks executed on narrow elevated surfaces. Also, the findings indicated that the presence of the virtual avatar significantly affects gait parameters. The presence of synchronized virtual legs caused subjects to increase their stride height and spend more time on similar virtual tasks on the ground. However, the subjects did not exhibit similar differences once exposed to virtual elevation. Furthermore, the moving structural beam significantly increased the heart rate of the subjects. As part of the steel erection simulation, the experimental results implied that construction workers could show noticeable physiological responses in the vicinity of large moving objects. In terms of task performance, working at height affects the result of the posturography and battery tests. This finding suggests that dual-tasks performed in a static position, and in the presence of elevation-related visual stimuli, can cause a reduction in the postural sway. In contrast, in the absence of visual depth, fear of height can positively influence the outcome of the construction tasks performed on elevated platforms.
Advisors: Jay Puckett and Terry Stent
Design and Analysis of the Virtual Reality Welding Training
A thesis presented to the faculty of the College of Business and Technology at Morehead State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Science by Ritesh Chakradhar on November 19, 2021
Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Technology in Occupational Safety and Health Training
The major reason for incompetent hazard identification by safety personnel is due to ineffective training of hazard identification. Hence, this study aims to examine the effectiveness of Occupational Safety and Health training using Hazard Identification Virtual Reality Simulatio
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