Using polyhedral models to automatically sketch idealized geometry for structural analysis

Simplification of polyhedral models, which may incorporate large numbers of faces and nodes, is often required to reduce their amount of data, to allow their efficient manipulation, and to speed up computation. Such a simplification process must be adapted to the use of the resulting polyhedral model. Several applications require simplified shapes which have the same topology as the original model (e.g. reverse engineering, medical applications, etc.). Nevertheless, in the fields of structural analysis and computer visualization, for example, several adaptations and idealizations of the initial geometry are often necessary. To this end, within this paper a new approach is proposed to simplify an initial manifold or non-manifold polyhedral model with respect to bounded errors specified by the user, or set up, for example, from a preliminary F.E. analysis. The topological changes which may occur during a simplification because of the bounded error (or tolerance) values specified are performed using specific curvature and topological criteria and operators. Moreover, topological changes, whether or not they kept the manifold of the object, are managed simultaneously with the geometric operations of the simplification process

Using polyhedral models to automatically sketch idealized geometry for structural analysis

Simplification of polyhedral models, which may incorporate large numbers of faces and nodes, is often required to reduce their amount of data, to allow their efficient manipulation, and to speed up computation. Such a simplification process must be adapted to the use of the resulting polyhedral model. Several applications require simplified shapes which have the same topology as the original model (e.g. reverse engineering, medical applications, etc.). Nevertheless, in the fields of structural analysis and computer visualization, for example, several adaptations and idealizations of the initial geometry are often necessary. To this end, within this paper a new approach is proposed to simplify an initial manifold or non-manifold polyhedral model with respect to bounded errors specified by the user, or set up, for example, from a preliminary F.E. analysis. The topological changes which may occur during a simplification because of the bounded error (or tolerance) values specified are performed using specific curvature and topological criteria and operators. Moreover, topological changes, whether or not they kept the manifold of the object, are managed simultaneously with the geometric operations of the simplification process

Contact identification for assembly-disassembly simulation with a haptic device

Assembly/Disassembly (A/D) simulations using haptic devices are facing difficulties while simulating insertion/extraction operations such as removing cylinders from holes. In order to address this configuration as well as others, an approach based on contact identification between components is presented in this paper. This approach can efficiently contribute either to a new A/D simulation preparation process relying on two types of shape representations (mesh and CAD NURBS models), or directly to the real time simulation process when it is performed with 6D haptic devices. The model processing pipeline is described and illustrated to show how information can be propagated and used for contact detection. Then, the contact identification process is introduced and illustrated through an exampl

Dexterous Grasping Tasks Generated With an Add-on End Effector of a Haptic Feedback System

The simulation of grasping operations in virtual reality (VR) is required for many applications, especially in the domain of industrial product design, but it is very difficult to achieve without any haptic feedback. Force feedback on the fingers can be provided by a hand exoskeleton, but such a device is very complex, invasive, and costly. In this paper, we present a new device, called HaptiHand, which provides position and force input as well as haptic output for four fingers in a noninvasive way, and is mounted on a standard force-feedback arm. The device incorporates four independent modules, one for each finger, inside an ergonomic shape, allowing the user to generate a wide range of virtual hand configurations to grasp naturally an object. It is also possible to reconfigure the virtual finger positions when holding an object. The paper explains how the device is used to control a virtual hand in order to perform dexterous grasping operations. The structure of the HaptiHand is described through the major technical solutions required and tests of key functions serve as validation process for some key requirements. Also, an effective grasping task illustrates some capabilities of the HaptiHand

Outils de base pour l'extraction de caractéristiques de surfaces numérisées

La construction d'une surface paramétrique à partir de données issues de la numérisation d'un objet réel est une étape longue et fastidieuse pour l'utilisateur. La difficulté principale de ce processus réside dans la décomposition de la surface de l'objet en carreaux comportant, de préférence, quatre côtés. La segmentation la plus naturelle pour l'utilisateur est une décomposition supportée par des lignes caractéristiques de la surface (arêtes vives, lignes de changement de courbure,...). En effet, l'utilisation de ces propriétés permet d'obtenir une décomposition représentative des caractéristiques géométriques de la surface. Les algorithmes développés utilisent un modèle polyédrique. La technique proposée repose sur des approximations de courbures faites sur les entités (sommets et arêtes) du polyèdre pour extraire, dans un premier temps, les "arêtes vives" et, par la suite, une première segmentation de la surface. Les "arêtes vives" sont identifiées par un algorithme basé sur des critères appelés invariants de courbures discrètes. Ces critères sont calculés pour chaque sommet et arête du polyèdre. Ils sont à rapprocher des approximations de courbures discrètes classiques, mais ils définissent la "forme" d'une surface au voisinage d'un sommet ou d'une arête. Le principe d'extraction consiste alors à sélectionner un ensemble ordonné d'arêtes vérifiant certaines propriétés géométriques. Chaque partition (ensemble connecté de faces) est une zone de la surface ayant une courbure locale plus ou moins constante. Les partitions sont identifiées grâce à une technique de propagation de fronts. Les faces adjacentes au front sont insérées dans celui-ci si les approximations de courbures calculées sur leurs sommets vérifient les critères de l'algorithme. Les "arêtes vives" préalablement extraites permettent de prendre en compte des discontinuités de courbures qui constituent des contraintes complémentaires pour la propagation de chaque front.In many areas of industry, it is desirable to create geometric models of existing objects for which no such model is available. Starting from a polyhedral representation on the digitized points measured on the object, this approach proposes a first phase of a segmentation process from a polyhedral surface prior to the generation of a NURBS model. Its main idea is to find a curve network, which divides the surfaces by means of a series of "feature polygonal lines". The advantage of this approach is that the patch structure will reflect the user's concept of the structure of the surface. Noise reduction and smoothing processes take place before the segmentation process to produce adequate input data for it. The approach is based on different approximations of curvature measurements of the surface to extract, at first, the sharp edges and secondly areas forming a first segmentation of the surface. This approach is interactive and allows the user to adapt threshold values to the various areas of the object. The sharp edges are found by an algorithm, which uses criteria based on discrete curvature invariant. These criteria are based on the approximation of curvatures (mean, gaussian, absolute), which strictly describe the local form of the surface around an edge or a vertex. According to a user threshold, the result of this algorithm is a set of list of edges. Each partition of the segmentation is an area of the surface with an almost constant curvature. Each of them is found with a frontal method. A front is initiated from a face, which satisfies a discrete curvature criterion. Faces adjacent to this front are admitted in it if the value of a curvature approximation for each of their vertices verifies the same discrete curvature criterion. Sharp edges defined beforehand express curvature or tangency discontinuities, which form complementary constraints for the front propagation algorithm

Fast global and partial reflective symmetry analyses using boundary surfaces of mechanical components

International audienceAxisymmetry and planar reflective symmetry properties of mechanical components can be used throughout a product development process to restructure the modeling process of a component, simplify the computation of tool path trajectories, assembly trajectories, etc. To this end, the restructured geometric model of such components must be at least as accurate as the manufacturing processes used to produce them, likewise their symmetry properties must be extracted with the same level of accuracy to preserve the accuracy of their geometric model. The proposed symmetry analysis is performed on a B-Rep CAD model through a divide-and-conquer approach over the boundary of a component with faces as atomic entities. As a result, it is possible to identify rapidly all global symmetry planes and axisymmetry as well as local symmetries. Also, the corresponding algorithm is fast enough to be inserted in CAD/CAM operators as part of interactive modeling processes, it performs at the same level of tolerance than geometric modelers and it is independent of the face and edge parameterizations

Deriving Functional Properties of Components from the Analysis of Digital Mock-ups

International audienceDigital Mock-ups (DMUs) are widespread and form a common basis for product description. However, DMUs produced by industrial CAD systems essentially contain geometric models and their exploitation often requires new input data to derive various simulation models. In this work, analysis and reasoning approaches are developed to automatically enrich DMUs with functional and kinematic properties. Indeed, interfaces between components form a key starting point to analyze their behaviours under operational reference states. This is a first stage in a reasoning process to progressively identify mechanical, kinematic as well as functional properties of the components. The overall process relying on the interfaces between components addresses also the emerging needs of conventional representations of components in industrial DMUs. Inferred semantics add up to the pure geometric representation provided by a DMU, to allow for easier exploitation of the model in different phases of a Product Development Process (PDP)

Functional restructuring of CAD models for FEA purposes

International audienceDigital Mock-ups (DMUs) are widespread and stand as reference model for product description. However, DMUs produced by industrial CAD systems essentially contain geometric models and their exploitation often requires user's input data to derive finite element models (FEMs). Here, analysis and reasoning approaches are developed to automatically enrich DMUs with functional and kinematic properties. Indeed, geometric interfaces between components form a key starting point to analyse their behaviours under reference states. This is a first stage in a reasoning process to progressively identify mechanical, kinematic as well as functional properties of the components. Inferred semantics adds up to the pure geometric representation provided by a DMU and produce also geometrically structured components and assemblies. Functional information connected to a structured geometric model of a component significantly improves the preparation of FEMs and increases its robustness because idealizations can take place using components' functions and components' structure helps defining sub-domains of FEMs

Design of an immersive peripheral for object grasping

Technical Committee Best Paper AwardInternational audienceDuring product development processes, simulations involving user's grasping operations are of increasing interest to incorporate more quantitative information in DFA (Design For Assembly) or immersive simulations. We present several prototypes of an immersive peripheral device for controlling a virtual hand with fine dexterity. These prototypes are derived from the analysis of a grasping action to define the structure and main features of this device. The prototypes, as easy to manipulate as a computer mouse, enable the simultaneous control of a large number of degrees of freedom (dofs). The design issues, where physical phenomena, physiological behavior and device structure are all tightly combined and significantly influence the overall interaction, are reviewed. These issues include the generation of dofs, monitoring kinematics, force reduction during virtual hand and finger movements, and the influence of device design, sensor types and their placement on the interaction and on the range of configurations that can be achieved for grasping tasks, dexterity, and performance. Examples of grasping tasks show the effect of these immersive devices to reach user-friendly and efficient interactions with objects bringing new insight to the interaction with virtual products

Generalizing the advancing front method to composite surfaces in the context of meshing constraints topology

International audienceBeing able to automatically mesh composite geometry is an important issue in the context of CAD-FEA integration. In some specific contexts of this integration, such as using virtual topology or meshing constraints topology (MCT), it is even a key requirement. In this paper, we present a new approach to automatic mesh generation over composite geometry. The proposed mesh generation approach is based on a generalization of the advancing front method (AFM) over curved surfaces. The adaptation of the AFM to composite faces (composed of multiple boundary representation (B-Rep) faces) involves the computation of complex paths along these B-Rep faces, on which progression of the advancing front is based. Each mesh segment or mesh triangle generated through this progression on composite geometry is likely to lie on multiple B-Rep faces and consequently, it is likely to be associated with a composite definition across multiple parametric spaces. Collision tests between new front segments and existing mesh elements also require specific and significant adaptations of the AFM, since a given front segment is also likely to lie on multiple B-Rep faces. This new mesh generation approach is presented in the context of MCT, which requires being able to handle composite geometry along with non-manifold boundary configurations, such as edges and vertices lying in the interior domain of B-Rep faces