Leif P. Berg

Industry use of virtual reality in product design and manufacturing: a survey

In 1999, Fred Brooks, virtual reality pioneer and Professor of Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, published a seminal paper describing the current state of virtual reality (VR) technologies and applications (Brooks in IEEE Comput Graph Appl 19(6):16, 1999). Through his extensive survey of industry, Brooks concluded that virtual reality had finally arrived and “barely works”. His report included a variety of industries which leveraged these technologies to support industry-level innovation. Virtual reality was being employed to empower decision making in design, evaluation, and training processes across multiple disciplines. Over the past two decades, both industrial and academic communities have contributed to a large knowledge base on numerous virtual reality topics. Technical advances have enabled designers and engineers to explore and interact with data in increasingly natural ways. Sixteen years have passed since Brooks original survey. Where are we now? The research presented here seeks to describe the current state of the art of virtual reality as it is used as a decision-making tool in product design, particularly in engineering-focused businesses. To this end, a survey of industry was conducted over several months spanning fall 2014 and spring 2015. Data on virtual reality applications across a variety of industries was gathered through a series of on-site visits. In total, on-site visits with 18 companies using virtual reality were conducted as well as remote conference calls with two others. The authors interviewed 62 people across numerous companies from varying disciplines and perspectives. Success stories and existing challenges were highlighted. While virtual reality hardware has made considerable strides, unique attention was given to applications and the associated decisions that they support. Results suggest that virtual reality has arrived: it works! It is mature, stable, and, most importantly, usable. VR is actively being used in a number of industries to support decision making and enable innovation. Insights from this survey can be leveraged to help guide future research directions in virtual reality technology and applications.

Immersive computing technology to investigate tradeoffs under uncertainty in disassembly sequence planning

The scientific and industrial communities have begun investigating the possibility of making product recovery economically viable. Disassembly sequence planning may be used to make end-of-life product take-back processes more cost effective. Much of the research involving disassembly sequence planning relies on mathematical optimization models. These models often require input data that is unavailable or can only be approximated with high uncertainty. In addition, there are few mathematical models that include consideration of the potential of product damage during disassembly operations. The emergence of Immersive Computing Technologies (ICT) enables designers to evaluate products without the need for physical prototypes. Utilizing unique 3D user interfaces, designers can investigate a multitude of potential disassembly operations without resorting to disassembly of actual products. The information obtained through immersive simulation can be used to determine the optimum disassembly sequence. The aim of this work is to apply a decision analytical approach in combination with immersive computing technology to optimize the disassembly sequence while considering trade-offs between two conflicting attributes: disassembly cost and damage estimation during disassembly operations. A wooden Burr puzzle is used as an example product test case. Immersive human computer interaction is used to determine input values for key variables in the mathematical model. The results demonstrate that the use of dynamic programming algorithms coupled with virtual disassembly simulation is an effective method for evaluating multiple attributes in disassembly sequence planning. This paper presents a decision analytical approach, combined with immersive computing techniques, to optimize the disassembly sequence. Future work will concentrate on creating better methods of estimating damage in virtual disassembly environments and using the immersive technology to further explore the feasible design space.

Leveraging virtual reality experiences with mixed-integer nonlinear programming visualization of disassembly sequence planning under uncertainty

Disassembly sequence planning at the early conceptual stage of design leads to enormous benefits including simplification of products, lower assembly and disassembly costs, and design modifications which result in increased potential profitability of end-of-life salvaging operations. However, in the early design stage, determining the best disassembly sequence is challenging. First, the required information is not readily available and very time-consuming to gather. In addition, the best solution is sometimes counterintuitive, even to those with experience and expertise in disassembly procedures. Integrating analytical models with immersive computing technology (ICT) can help designers overcome these issues. A two-stage procedure for doing so is introduced in this paper. In the first stage, a stochastic programming model together with the information obtained through immersive simulation is applied to determine the optimal disassembly sequence, while considering uncertain outcomes, such as time, cost, and the probability of causing damage. In the second stage, ICT is applied as a tool to explore alternative disassembly sequence solutions in an intuitive way. The benefit of using this procedure is to determine the best disassembly sequence, not only by solving the analytic model but also by capturing human expertise. The designer can apply the obtained results from these two stages to analyze and modify the product design. An example of a Burr puzzle is used to illustrate the application of the method. Disciplines Applied Mechanics | Graphics and Human Computer Interfaces | Manufacturing | Systems Engineering and Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Comments This article is from Journal of Mechanical Design 136 (2014): 1, doi:10.1115/1.4026463. Posted with permission. This article is available at Iowa State University Digital Repository: http://lib.dr.iastate.edu/me_pubs/114

Disassembly sequence evaluation using graph visualization and immersive computing technologies

With the goal of making product recovery economically viable, disassembly sequence planning and evaluation can be used to influence product design features early in the product design process. Several researchers have investigated using optimization methods to determine disassembly sequences. One of the difficulties with using this approach is that because of the unique aspects of product disassembly at the end of life, input parameters for the optimization algorithms are commonly unavailable or estimated under high uncertainty. In practice, design engineers explore disassembly sequencing using either CAD software or manipulation of physical prototypes. These approaches produce solutions, but only intuitive solutions are explored and more optimal solutions may exist. To support decision making early in the design process, the research presented in this paper combines these two approaches within an immersive computing technology (ICT) application to aid in early product design with the goal of designing products with consideration of product recovery, reuse and recycle. The ICT application displays both 3D geometry of the product to be disassembled and an interactive graph visualization of the potential disassembly paths. The user can naturally interact with the geometric models and explore the potential paths indicated by the graph visualization. The optimal path can be indicated and the user can explore other potential paths. The result is an application that combines the strength of mathematical modeling with visualization and human interaction to provide an experience where the user can explore potential effects of design decisions. The initial application has been implemented in a 3 wall immersive projection environment and preliminary results show this approach proves to be an efficient method of evaluating and training potential disassembly sequences.

Synergy Between Normative and Descriptive Design Theory and Methodology

The problem this paper addresses is the tension between descriptive and normative approaches to design theory and methodology. Descriptive approaches typically seek to document, formalize and/or automate existing ad hoc design methods, towards the goal of making current best practices available to all. In contrast, normative approaches attempt to improve upon existing design practices, towards a new method for how design should be done. Both approaches have strengths and weaknesses. This paper seeks to resolve some of the tension between the two approaches. It presents a new method for designing a design system that synergistically exploits the strengths while remedying the weaknesses of both normative and descriptive methods. An illustration that employs immersive computing technology (ICT) to remedy some of the cognitive biases that might occur in a normative mathematical model for disassembly planning is presented.Copyright

Integrating Immersive Computing Technology With Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Programming for Disassembly Sequence Planning Under Uncertainty

Disassembly sequence planning at the early conceptual stage of design leads to enormous benefits including simplification of products, lower assembly and disassembly costs, and design modifications which result in increased potential profitability of end-of-life salvaging operations. However, in the early design stage, determining the best disassembly sequence is challenging. First, the required information is not readily available and very time-consuming to gather. In addition, the best solution is sometimes counterintuitive, even to those with experience and expertise in disassembly procedures. Integrating analytical models with Immersive Computing Technology (ICT) can help designers overcome these issues. A two-stage procedure for doing so is introduced in this paper. In the first stage, a stochastic programming model together with the information obtained through immersive simulation is applied to determine the optimal disassembly sequence, while considering uncertain outcomes, such as time, cost and the probability of causing damage. In the second stage, ICT is applied as a tool to explore alternative disassembly sequence solutions in an intuitive way. The benefit of using this procedure is to determine the best disassembly sequence, not only by solving the analytic model, but also by capturing human expertise. The designer can apply the obtained results from these two stages to analyze and modify the product design. An example of a Burr puzzle is used to illustrate the application of the method.© 2012 ASME

Disassembly Sequence Evaluation: A User Study Leveraging Immersive Computing Technologies

As interest in product recovery, reuse, and recycling rises, planning and evaluating disassembly sequences are becoming increasingly important. The manner in which a product can be taken apart strongly influences end-of-life (EOL) operations and costs. Early disassembly planning can also inform non-EOL processes including repair and routine maintenance. Recently, research has concentrated on creating optimization algorithms which automatically generate disassembly sequences. These algorithms often require data that are unavailable or estimated with high uncertainty. Furthermore, industries often employ CAD modeling software to evaluate disassembly sequences during the design stage. The combination of these methods result in mathematically generated solutions, however, the solutions may not account for attributes that are difficult to quantify (human interaction). To help designers better explore and understand disassembly sequence opportunities, the research presented in this paper combines the value of mathematical modeling with the benefits of immersive computing technologies (ICT) to aid in early design decision making. For the purposes of this research, an ICT application was developed. The application displays both 3D geometry of a product and an interactive graph visualization of existing disassembly sequences. The user can naturally interact with the geometric models and explore sequences outlined in the graph visualization. The calculated optimal path can be highlighted allowing the user to quickly compare the optimal sequence against alternatives. The application has been implemented in a three wall immersive projection environment. A user study involving a hydraulic pump assembly was conducted. The results suggest that this approach may be a viable method of evaluating disassembly sequences early in design. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4028857]

Disassembly Sequence Evaluation

As interest in product recovery, reuse, and recycling rises, planning and evaluating disassembly sequences are becoming increasingly important. The manner in which a product can be taken apart strongly influences end-of-life (EOL) operations and costs. Early disassembly planning can also inform non-EOL processes including repair and routine maintenance. Recently, research has concentrated on creating optimization algorithms which automatically generate disassembly sequences. These algorithms often require data that are unavailable or estimated with high uncertainty. Furthermore, industries often employ CAD modeling software to evaluate disassembly sequences during the design stage. The combination of these methods result in mathematically generated solutions, however, the solutions may not account for attributes that are difficult to quantify (human interaction). To help designers better explore and understand disassembly sequence opportunities, the research presented in this paper combines the value of mathematical modeling with the benefits of immersive computing technologies (ICT) to aid in early design decision making. For the purposes of this research, an ICT application was developed. The application displays both 3D geometry of a product and an interactive graph visualization of existing disassembly sequences. The user can naturally interact with the geometric models and explore sequences outlined in the graph visualization. The calculated optimal path can be highlighted allowing the user to quickly compare the optimal sequence against alternatives. The application has been implemented in a three wall immersive projection environment. A user study involving a hydraulic pump assembly was conducted. The results suggest that this approach may be a viable method of evaluating disassembly sequences early in design. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4028857]

Integration of Cognitive Modeling into the Evaluation of Electronic Health Records

Previous research has consistently cited the importance of a usable interface in the successful adoption of the electronic health record (EHR). Among the most time intensive EHR activities is Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) a method of creating and modifying orders through an electronic interface. The Marshfield Clinic, a non-profit, regional health care organization in Wisconsin, is in the process of implementing a new CPOE system. As a part of early evaluation, cognitive and behavioral modeling was coupled with formative usability testing to better understand the potential use of a new CPOE design. Participants consisted of 11 medical residents. Results suggest that participants were able to complete the majority of task scenarios in less than 20 seconds per task. Additionally, the integration of a cognitive and behavioral tool provided new evaluation information to help aid in future design efforts.