Overview
VEGAS (a Virtual Environment for General ASsembly), provides engineers with a tool to investigate assembly feasibility. The application works with model data derived from popular CAD software packages like Pro/Engineer. The advantage of VEGAS is its flexibility to populate a virtual environment with various models, with minimal limitations on size, shape or complexity, without having to recompile a specific assembly situation. Assuming the parametric data from the CAD packages can be read into a tessellation routine, and turned into triangles, essentially any model can be recognized by VEGAS. Once in the virtual environment the engineers can interact with their models to perform assembly tasks as they would in the physical world. By allowing the assembly planning to occur with digital models as opposed to physical mock-up the engineers can save time and money by trying many different options relatively easily. As the assembly methods are being analyzed, collision detection algorithms are used to tell the user if the parts fit together or if there are some undesirable interferences taking place.
Software and Hardware
- VRJuggler software for virtual environment management
- Voxmap PointShell software from Boeing for collision detection
- Display systems: C2 or C6 projection virtual environment (with Crystaleyes glasses) or a head mounted display
- Flock of Birds trackers
- In-house developed wand
Additional Media
- Pictures of the brake assembly and the cab
- Comparison of different voxel sizes for the brake assembly
- Voxelized cab
- Comparison of different voxel sizes for the cab
Publications
- Johnson, T C., and Vance, J. M., 2001, “The use of the voxmap pointshell method of collision detection in virtual assembly methods planning”, ASME 2001 Design Engineering Technical Conferences, September 9-12, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
- Johnson, Tom, 2000, A General Virtual Environment for Part Assembly Method Evaluation, Master’s Thesis, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University
Personnel
- Tom Johnson, Graduate Research Assistant tcjohnso@vrac.iastate.edu
- Judy M. Vance, Principal Investigator, jmvance@iastate.edu
Funding
- Deere & Company
- Virtual Reality Applications Center at Iowa State University
