ITR: (ASE+NHS+ECS)-(int+dmc+sim): Generation of Complex Environmental Flow Patterns for Virtual Environments

ITR：（ASE NHS ECS）-（int dmc sim）：为虚拟环境生成复杂的环境流模式

• 批准号: 0428856
• 负责人: John Hollerbach
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Utah
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-10-01 至 2010-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0428856&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: ITR; ASE+NHS+ECS; int+dmc+sim; Generation; Complex

A goal of virtual reality is the simulation of the physical world and convincing displays of the simulation. Although progress has been made in developing visual, auditory, and haptic displays, virtual environments are still generally unconvincing. One hypothesis is that a totality of sensory effects is necessary to create a realistic sense of immersion, including atmospheric effects such as wind, smell, and radiance, yet there has been little systematic research on incorporating such effects. In this project, the PI and his team will create the Treadport Active Wind Tunnel (TPAWT), a 3D wind display enhancement for the Treadport locomotion interface, which comprises a large tilting treadmill, a CAVE-like visual display, and an active mechanical tether attached to the torso. Taking into account geometrical constraints such as the presence of frontal screens, a system of controlled directional vents will be placed around a user. Air will be discharged from the vents using a dedicated programmable air-handling unit. Flows will be precisely mixed, based on model reduction techniques, and controlled to produce a sensation of wind from any direction and up to speeds of 20 mph. Nonlinear feedback controllers will be devised to sense and regulate airflow near a user. Odors and chemicals will be displayed to users by injection into the airflow system, while infrared lamps arrayed in the ceiling will generate radiant heat. The PI expects the integration of 3D wind and olfactory capabilities into the existing Treadport system to reinforce the graphical, auditory and locomotion effects will result in a new degree of realism in the immersive virtual reality interface. To test out and fine-tune the system, wind generation will be incorporated into an urban virtual environment, which includes pedestrians and cars generating noises and smells. The simulation of the magnitude and direction of the wind, as well as the dispersion of odors or air-borne chemicals, will be based on the QUIC (Quick Urban & Industrial Complex) dispersion modeling system, which provides fast simulation of the flow field around buildings and the concentration fields of chemical plumes. One experimental application will relate to developing methods for tracing the source of noxious chemicals released into the environment. With a real-time wind and plume dispersion simulation, response and training scenarios can be developed. Small mobile robots with chemical sensors can be placed on the treadmill to track plumes using algorithms that take into account wind direction, wind speed and local concentrations.Broader Impacts. The generation of 3D airflow is a new research topic, which will allow realistic wind and olfactory displays for virtual environments, and offer an alternative to traditional wind tunnels by placing airflow at a local region of interest without immersing a whole structure, and by simulating meandering wind. By simulating plume dispersion of chemicals around city structures, training and emergency response scenarios can be developed for the release of chemical agents into the atmosphere. The research adds fluid mechanics and control to the already highly interdisciplinary Treadport project that also includes psychology, biomechanics, robotics, and computer graphics, and will result in the training of a sizable number of graduate students competent to conduct interdisciplinary research.

虚拟现实的一个目标是模拟物理世界，并令人信服地展示模拟。尽管在开发视觉、听觉和触觉显示方面已经取得了进展，但虚拟环境总体上仍然不令人信服。一种假设是，创造一种逼真的沉浸感需要一系列感官效应，包括风、气味和辐射等大气效应，但关于纳入这些效应的系统研究很少。在这个项目中，PI和他的团队将创建Tadport主动风洞(TPAWT)，这是Tadport运动界面的3D风显示增强，包括一个大型倾斜跑步机、一个洞穴状的视觉显示器和一个连接在躯干上的主动机械系绳。考虑到几何限制，例如前屏的存在，将在用户周围放置受控定向通风口系统。空气将使用专用的可编程空气处理装置从通风口排出。根据模型简化技术，气流将被精确混合，并被控制以产生来自任何方向的风的感觉，速度高达每小时20英里。将设计非线性反馈控制器来感知和调节用户附近的气流。气味和化学物质将通过注入气流系统向用户显示，而排列在天花板上的红外灯将产生辐射热。PI预计，将3D风和嗅觉功能集成到现有的Treadport系统中，以增强图形、听觉和运动效果，将使沉浸式虚拟现实界面达到新的逼真程度。为了测试和微调该系统，风力发电将被纳入一个城市虚拟环境，其中包括产生噪音和气味的行人和汽车。风的大小和方向以及气味或空气中化学物质的扩散的模拟将基于Quic(快速城市和工业综合体)扩散模拟系统，该系统提供对建筑物周围的流场和化学羽流浓度场的快速模拟。其中一个实验性应用将涉及开发追踪释放到环境中的有毒化学物质来源的方法。通过实时的风和烟羽扩散模拟，可以开发响应和培训场景。带有化学传感器的小型移动机器人可以放置在跑步机上，使用考虑风向、风速和当地浓度的算法来跟踪羽流。三维气流的生成是一个新的研究课题，它将为虚拟环境提供逼真的风和嗅觉显示，并通过在不浸没整个结构的情况下将气流放置在感兴趣的局部区域以及通过模拟蜿蜒的风来提供传统风洞的替代方案。通过模拟化学物质在城市结构周围的扩散，可以制定向大气中释放化学物质的培训和应急方案。这项研究为已经高度跨学科的Treadport项目增加了流体力学和控制，该项目还包括心理学、生物力学、机器人学和计算机图形学，并将培养相当数量的有能力进行跨学科研究的研究生。