Interactive Design of Structural Systems in a Virtual Environment

Tsung-Pin Yeh
Judy M. Vance
Iowa Center for Emerging Manufacturing Technology
Iowa State University
Ames, IA

Computer Modeling and Simulation in Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 3, August 1998, pp.166-170.

24th Midwestern Mechanics Conference Proceedings, Vol. 18, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, Oct. 1-4, 1995, pp. 185-187.

Abstract
The objective of this paper is to combine virtual reality (VR) and engineering design to allow a designer to play an active role in analysis and optimization of structural systems. Virtual reality techniques provide a computer-generated environment for the designer to investigate multiple design changes by manipulating virtual objects. Interactive design allows the designer to change design parameters and immediately determine the effect based on sensitivity-based approximations. Using VR for interactive design will give the designer an intuitive sense of the performance of the design allowing the designer to achieve a viable, optimal solution in a timely manner. A simple cantilever beam with size optimization objectives is presented to illustrate the interactive sensitivity analysis and design optimization process in a virtual environment.

For a more information on this project, refer to the Research Project: Shape Design with Stress Constraint Considerations in a Virtual Environment.