Haptics Model Industrial Designs

Industrial design modelling, used to make prototypes of home appliances or mock-ups of car parts, could soon make the leap from the world of plaster, plastic and sticky tape into the digital domain thanks to an augmented reality design system developed in Europe. The system, developed by a team of researchers from six EU countries, merges touch-sensitive haptic technology with 3D digital modelling and computer-aided design (CAD) to allow professional designers to feel and shape their creations physically and virtually. Implemented commercially, the system promises to save companies time and money, raise designers’ productivity and improve the quality of new products. Though designers use computer programs to create mathematically precise models of products, they still need to be able to see and handle the model physically. Until now, the only way they have been able to do that is to turn to a model-maker to create a real, physical sample. It’s a labour-intensive, time-consuming and costly process. Haptic technology, which uses mechanics and/or special materials to transmit and receive information through the sense of touch, offers a practical solution, providing many of the benefits of physical models with none of the drawbacks.

However, haptics is far from a mature technology, and this project was one of the first to build a haptic system for industrial designers. The multimodal and multisensory SATIN system consists of two FCS-HapticMASTER devices, in essence robotic arms more commonly used for remote welding or dental surgery, which position and rotate a robotic spline, an electronic version of the flexible strip of material, typically wood or metal, long used by designers to draw curves. Fitted with actuators and sensors, the spline automatically twists and bends to the shape of a digital representation of the product uploaded by the designer into the system. Standing in front of a workstation and wearing 3D glasses, the designer views, through a set of mirrors, a virtual 3D model of the product superimposed where the spline actually is. By pressing the centre or pushing or pulling the ends of the robotic spline with their hands, the designers can reshape and reform the 3D model. Models can be saved and compared, and any changes made much more quickly and simply than using traditional modelling methods. Additional information about the model that cannot be perceived tactilely on the spline, such as discontinuities of a curve or inflection points, is transmitted through audio signals as the designer runs a finger along it.

More information:

http://cordis.europa.eu/ictresults/index.cfm?section=news&tpl=article&BrowsingType=Features&ID=91241