Spatial Mechanism Design in a Virtual Environment

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This award provides funding to develop a new and innovative approach to designing spatial mechanisms based on the use of virtual reality technology. A virtual environment, which will include a variety of visual, audio, and haptic interactive devices, will be created and used to design novel spatial mechanisms. New analytical techniques for spatial mechanism design, which fully utilize the capabilities of the virtual design environment, will be generated and incorporated into the design software. Computer models of objects within the operational workspace of the mechanism will be displayed in the virtual environment and consideration of the interaction of the mechanism with these objects will become an integral part of the design process. This development will be a testbed for the use of virtual reality in mechanical design. Some of the major challenges in designing spatial mechanisms for practical applications include the need to specify design positions in three-dimensional space and verify the operation of these mechanisms in their operational workspace. If successful, this research will result in a computer tool that utilizes novel spatial mechanism design methodologies to generate a three-dimensional design space in which the designer can synthesize spatial mechanisms and obtain a sense of the form and function of the devices. This would enable spatial mechanisms to be incorporated into many products, including manufacturing and automation equipment and consumer products. As a result of this research, new advancements in spatial mechanism design methodology and new knowledge pertaining to the use of virtual environments as a mechanical design tool are likely.