Virtual reality (VR) technology brings huge possibilities to the manufacturing industry. It enables engineers to fully experience their designs at real-world scale, as if they were physically present. By simulating the manufacturing process in VR, many problems can be discovered and solved, thereby avoiding the need to invest a lot of resources in actual production before discovering the problem. VR simulation makes communication and collaboration between different teams more intuitive and efficient.
This easy-to-use technology is rapidly changing and optimizing the entire manufacturing industry. VR is not only an exciting innovation, but also allows us to see the bright prospects of digital transformation in the manufacturing industry. It will continue to release huge productivity and benefit society.
How General Motors is applying human verification and VR
General Motors' global ergonomics laboratory is conducting virtual reality (VR) experiments to allow engineers to participate in product design immersively. Through virtual reality technology, engineers can visualize various advanced functions and operations in a three-dimensional environment, and understand product development status more intuitively.
The immersive research focuses on evaluating human-machine accessibility, visibility, and hand clearance, using virtual reality technology to simulate human interaction with automotive products. This technology not only helps design safer products, but also facilitates collaboration between product engineering and manufacturing engineering to reduce late design changes in the product life cycle. Through immersive technology, engineers can understand product design more intuitively, thereby better optimizing and improving the user experience of automotive products.
Combining virtual and real simulations
General Motors demonstrated how to use VR technology in the ergonomics laboratory. In the case, the verification personnel used a set of aluminum benches to define the boundaries and simulate the installation of difficult parts during the vehicle assembly process, as well as the accessible range. simulation.
The GM team added 3D printed parts to accurately represent dimensions to assess accessibility and visibility. With immersive technology, staff skills are improved and human-machine verification engineers are able to verify their simulations in a 3D environment from a third-person perspective.
General Motors uses physical models, 3D printed parts and virtual reality to improve ergonomics
The "Live Gestures" feature in the simulation provides details of manual assembly and manual clearance. This feature includes interactive rulers that enable real-time measurements. Additionally, the flagging feature helps identify issues and enable issue tracking by logging a description of the issue along with annotations to the screenshot.
Verification with motion capture function
The GM team used an inertial motion capture solution to record the movements of a female operator as she entered the engine compartment despite being disturbed. Motion capture can also be performed using larger male operators to compare differences in body size when entering the engine compartment. By assessing operator head-down height, teams can ensure accessibility into the cabin. In addition, motion capture can be used to analyze accurate postures for future tasks or operations, providing important reference information for design.
Motion capture technology can also integrate and interact with physical structures, 3D printed parts and assemblies, providing more possibilities for vehicle design and testing.
Multiple body measurements can be easily compared to suit specific operator tasks using VR with motion capture
VR driven real gesture verification
Through the recording capabilities of motion capture technology, GM ergonomics experts can pause and evaluate the stress on the lower back in specific positions, as well as the time spent in specific uncomfortable positions. They can also capture these poses and save them to a pose library for reuse. This information is of great value for optimizing car design and driving experience, and improving driver comfort and safety.
Using VR with real-time manual capabilities improves hand gap research on correct scaling and positioning in immersive environments
VR’s real-time manual capabilities allow ergonomics experts to envision hand positions based on proportions and gestures from a gesture library. They can then perform a general hand clearance study to validate the simulation of moving objects during the assembly sequence described in the manufacturing process. This technology enables ergonomists to more accurately evaluate operator movements and postures in virtual environments to optimize product design.
VR visual accessibility verification
3D evaluation in virtual reality can verify operator sight lines. For example, the GM team could see the mannequin line of sight to determine whether the operator could see the accessory on the brake application module. They can then use VR to find alternative poses that were not previously considered, providing adequate visual distance.
Operator sightlines for current and alternate poses can be more easily verified using VR
VR multi-person collaborative review
In addition to improvements in human-machine verification, VR collaboration brings tremendous value to collaboration between multiple GM teams. During a time of significant increase in remote work, they are still able to securely collaborate with key stakeholders such as designers, factory representatives, and product and manufacturing engineers. They share immersive sessions and presentations through conferencing software. Instead of creating physical models from scratch, new vehicles can be reviewed virtually by factory members.
Collaboration with VR could be very helpful for remote working between GM designers, engineers and factory personnel
The future of VR at GM
The GM VR team plans to expand the use of VR in the future. They envision improving the accuracy of motion capture solutions (optical or inertial) in virtual reality environments to evaluate and enhance first-person perspective capabilities. Replacing VR controller handles with VR gloves for a more realistic experience when grabbing parts, as well as enhancing tactile feedback capabilities during collision and grabbing, will be implemented in their roadmap.
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